The Ring of Osiris
by The Hope Lions
Summary: After an accidental meet up between Nina and Eddie, the Osirian's life depends on a ring. Now Sibuna must find the pieces to a silver ankh and hope that it can break Eddie's curse. But with a dark lady looming in Nina's nightmares will Sibuna survive long enough to make it to graduation?T for violence and minor swearing please read and review. A season 4 fic!
1. Chapter 1 House of Bastet

I'm back! The last HOA story I wrote had my most reviews yet and flowed so well I wrote over 20,000 in 3 days! This won't be written as fast because I'm starting school again *tear* but I'm going to write and finish this because then there will be at least one finished season 4 fic on here! So many abandoned I just want to honor them with this one of my own.

On another note go check out my other HOA story Children of the Obelisk. This takes place in the same Universe but about 25 years earlier. And no, you don't have to read the other one to understand this, but it's a fun read I think. (Well obviously. I wrote it.) Sorry for the rambling but whatever. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1

House of Bastet

**Miss Martin,**

**As I did you a favor in alerting you to the dangers of the Osirian and Chosen One being together I do hope you will likewise help me in the time of my need. I am out of elixir and have stolen the real Mask of Anubis. All I need are your tears to save me. A man who has done what I have done does not go to the afterlife peacefully. Please Miss Martin I need your help.**

**-Victor Rodenmaar Jr.**

**Dear Victor,**

**It's true that I am in debt to you considering you kept me from killing Eddie by returning. I however can not grant your request. Return the mask to its rightful home, live out your life, and die like the rest of us. You've saved Joy, you saved Eddie, you saved me- surely those will be taken in account upon your death. I am sorry I can't help you, but it is time you let this eternal dream go.**

**-Nina Martin**

**Miss Martin,**

**I do not need your assistance with the elixir, that was a lie to make sure it was in fact you. There is something strange going on here at Anubis house and considering your track record is better than the Osirian's I beg your help in dispatching of the new evil.**

**-Victor Rodenmaar Jr.**

**Victor,**

**I'd love to help, but you know as well as I do that I can't return to Anubis house. Any meeting with Eddie would doom us both. I'm sure Eddie and the others can help.**

**-Nina **

**Miss Martin,**

**Currently the students are on winter break and Mr Miller is in America with his mother. You two both live in New York City I believe. He'd be safer if you were here than the same city as him.**

**-Victor Rodenmaar**

**Victor,**

**You're right. I've seen Eddie a couple of times even if he hasn't seen me. It would be better if we were far enough apart that him touching me accidentally was impossible. I shall be at the house as soon as possible.**

**-Nina**

So here I was, the one place I'd sworn I could never return to. Victor needed my help and even if I had to stay away for Eddie's sake with was my duty as Chosen One to deal with things like this. And I owed much to Victor. My life. My friend's lives. Even Eddie would be dead if Victor hadn't forwarded his translation from the Book of Isis to me. All Victor needed was one favor and then I would leave again.

Despite everything, it was good to be home.

I found it strange how quiet the house was without eight plus teenagers wandering its hallways. Trudy was probably around, but I knew it would be best to avoid her and questions. I just needed to get in, help Victor, and go. No pleasantries.

"Miss Martin. I'm glad you came," Victor's voice, while he was trying to be kind, clearly preferred its mean setting.

I wanted to tell the truth of how much I missed this place, but speaking the words aloud would only make it harder to leave once my duties were over. Instead I got right down to business, "So what's the problem?"

"Cats," Victor replied leading me into the cellar with his key. (How odd it was not to be using the secret passage, but Eddie had my necklace and it was better Victor didn't know that the oven passage existed.)

"Cats?" I repeated. I'd flown across an entire ocean because Victor had a cat problem.

"Cats," he repeated firmly. We wandered down into the cellar and I knew what he meant. There were no cats to be seen, but between the ceaseless meowing and the smell there were plenty around. "I'm sure you know the Egyptians regarded cats as gods. That mainly comes down to Bastet the cat goddess."

"Bastet?" I repeated trying to remember what Fabian had once told me about her. "Didn't she get locked in with Apophis and have to fight him when Ra disappeared?"

"Something like that. I haven't been down here much because last term was... interesting to say the least. When I came down here the other day and heard it I knew you were the person to call." Eddie had told me all about last semester s and the dangerous foe they faced in Ammut in his endless stream of letters. Sinner Victor would have no need to come down here and scheme, so the idea of a goddess moving in at that time wasn't too ridiculous.

"So you think Anubis house is haunted by a cat goddess?" I repeated a smile broadening on my face. Silly, silly, Victor. Clearly being duped and turned into a soulless puppet scrambled his brains.

"What is so funny Miss Martin?" Victor asked scowling. "Bastet is a formidable foe and not to be laughed at."

"Victor," I told him going into the corner where the meows were coming from. "You don't have a goddess problem, just a kitten one."

Behind a series of flasks an stuffed animals a mother cat lie feeding seven meowing kittens. There was no goddess hear, just a couple cute cats and a jumpy caretaker. "This little girl must have snuck down here to have her kittens. It's animal control you need. Not a Chosen One."

Victor's face grew red with embarrassment before he profusely apologized about dragging me into this country for nothing. Holding up my hand in the universal sign for stop I spoke, "Don't worry about it. It's nice to see this place even if I can't stay. With Gran gone I spent Christmas alone."

"I am sorry for drawing you back here," Victor repeated. "I've just been on edge after everything that has happened."

"It's understandable," I assured him. "I'd better go and book a plane home. It was nice seeing you Victor."

Back upstairs I pulled out my Android to start booking plane reservations. As much as I loved being here this was a huge waste of money I didn't have. Gran didn't have much to leave me and living on your own, even at 18, is hard.

I was so engrossed in my phone I didn't see the door open before I reached it or the man who stepped in. It wasn't until our bodies collided that either of us realized what had happened.

Victor had lied. Eddie was here and now we were both in big, big trouble.


	2. Chapter 2 House of Osiris

For those of you who don't know me I respond to every review so please tell me what you think.

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Chapter 2

House of Osirian

"Shit," I muttered fumbling through my backpack for the ring I always kept on hand just in case. "It's going to be okay Eddie don't worry. I have it somewhere. You're okay." Eddie most certainly didn't look okay. From the moment our skin touched he'd been on the floor wailing in agony. He was dying from the inside out every cell in his body exploding and only I could stop it. "Where is it?" I asked throwing everything from my bag frantically. Victor had appeared and upon realizing wheat happened he too joined the search for the ring that would save Eddie's life.

"Here!" he cried handing the little silver ring over to me.

"Eddie you have to try and hold still so I can put this on you," I told the thrashing boy gently. "I know you're in pai,n but this will stop it." Eddie kept pushing me away whenever I went to jam the ring on his finger so Victor helped me by holding the boy down. I quickly slid the ring on my Osirian's finger and the thrashing stopped. Now that Eddie was out of danger I turned to Victor, "YOU LYING JERK! YOU DRAGGED ME HERE KNOWING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN! YOU'RE RIGHT PEOPLE LIKE YOU DON'T GO TO THE AFTERLIFE BECAUSE YOU'RE EVIL!"

"I didn't know," Victor told me shaking his head."I honestly didn't know Mr. Miller would be here. He and the others aren't due back until tomorrow." Maybe it was the color returning to Eddie's face that made my temper calm down or maybe it was the honesty in Victor's words. He really didn't know Eddie would be here. That much was clear.

"Nina?" Eddie asked coming around and I moved over to sit next to him. "What are you doing here? What happened?"

"It's the reason I couldn't come back," I told him gently fully aware that this was my fault. If I hadn't been so weak and just stayed away... It was time Eddie knew the whole story. "I was going to come back, but last summer Victor sent me an email. Inside the book of Isis there was a passage telling the history of the Paragon and Osirian. As you know Amneritis broke the Osiris's Cup of Ankh. Her punishment was that she and some of her decedents would be the Chosen Ones. We could fix the cup, but we also had powers that would make people want to use us. Though Amneritis was married to king Tut there was another man, Asim who loved Amneritis more than anything else. He dedicated his life to protecting her from the dangers of being the Chosen One. But he died young and pleaded with Osiris to send him back so he could continue protecting Amneritis and her new daughter. Osiris refused to send him back, but made a deal. Asim promised that the love he had for Amneritis was so strong it would run in the genes. Osiris agreed that for each Chosen One he created from Amneritis he'd create an Osirian to protect her in the line of Asim. As long as the Osirian fulfilled his duty to the Chosen One nothing bad would happen."

"But Rufus didn't," Victor interrupted from where he stood on the other side of the room. "Rufus rejected his duty as Osirian. Because of that all further Osirians are cursed never to be near their Chosen One lest they die."

"But I never got sick before... and we spent half a year together," Eddie questioned, but I shook my head.

"The curse didn't take effect until our 18th birthday. From that moment on though if we were to touch you died. That's why I couldn't come back." Telling Eddie this, while putting a burden on him, felt wonderful for me. Now we could share this together.

"But you're touching my hand now? Why am I fine?" Eddie asked standing up. "I mean I'm not dying anymore so what stopped it?"

"The ring," I explained standing up with him. "Osiris told Asim that there was a ring the Osirian could wear so he could touch and protect the Chosen One. I spent months last semester tracking it down in case something like this happened. But there is a catch. Now that you've put the ring on it can't ever come off and..."

"And what. You never stop talking mid-sentence unless it is bad." I'd forgotten how well Eddie knew me even when we'd barely spent any time together. But I guess it was in his genes to know me.

"Now that you have the ring on we have to be careful. I can never be more than a few miles away from you. Ever. And any injury I receive you receive also."

"And what happens if we're too far apart?" Eddie asked even though we both knew the answer. Wiping away the mounting tears Victor answered for me.

"You die. By being too far away you've broken your vow as Osirian and you will die."

Eddie tried to remain cheerful, but considering the circumstances it was difficult, "Well on the bright side this means you get to come back. Fabian will love that."

The idea of seeing Fabian again was cheerful enough that I could smile despite the new dangers in Eddie's life I'd caused. "Come on," Eddie told me holding out his hand. "We need to go find my dad and get you re-enrolled. He can't even say he doesn't want you because then I die."

Typical Eddie acting like his death and our new connection was no big deal. He clearly was terrified, any sane person would be, but I guess it could be worse. I could be bound to someone like Alfie. I love the kid, but that would be annoying to have to be near him for the rest of my life.

At the moment this was fine because the campus wasn't that large, but what about in the future? Now we had to go to the same college and live in the same town and find work right next to each other... there had to be something we could do to break the bond because without something... our lives were over before they began.


	3. Chapter 3 House of Returns

Don't forget if you like it-review. If you hate it-review. If you don't care-review :)

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Chapter 3

House of Returns

"So why are you even here anyways?" I asked Eddie as we crossed the lightly snow covered Liverpool grounds. "Victor said no one was coming back until tomorrow... I wouldn't have come if I'd know."

"Nina," Eddie told me firmly. "I'm glad I ran into you, literally. Maybe it makes life more difficult but who wants an easy life? It's just not the same without you here."

I didn't believe him, but continued to walk in silence. Finally, Eddie answered my original question," I spent Christmas with mom back in New York. You know how it is around New Years in the city- I came here to escape the chaos. And to be honest I think my dad likes having me around. We're still not great but I understand why he kept me away." Eddie looked down at the ring on his hand before smiling, "I'm not usually that kind of guy but I have to admit the ring is kind of cool." If it wasn't the only thing keeping him alive I would have agreed with Eddie. The silver band fit him perfect and on the top a small silver ankh was engraved on a plate. And the way the ring shone in the light was truly beautiful.

"Yes," Mr. Sweet called from inside his office when we knocked. "Eddison is that you?"

Eddie opened the door and Mr. Sweet saw me immediately. Fear dawning on his father's face Eddie held up his hand to show the ring and spoke, "We have a problem and now Nina needs a room."

Mr. Sweet asked a million questions, but we didn't answer them. All he needed to know was that I needed to be here and I needed a room in Anubis.

"Well it might work," Mr. Sweet said biting his pen. "Willow has requested her old room back now that she and Alfie broke up and Mara has been accepted to an early college program though I believe she's coming back to graduate with her classmates... Yes this will work, but I need you two to help by moving Willow's stuff back to Isis house."

Eddie and I filled each other in on our adventures last term and Eddie seemed to find my story really amusing, "So you moved to New York by yourself because some psychic told you that the object you sought was in the hometown of the Osirian? And you believed her?"

"Well she knew about the ring and the word Osirian," I reminded him as we unpacked the single suitcase I'd been living out of. "And she was right after all I found the ring in the Metropolitan museum of art... it was on display."

"So I'm wearing a stolen ring?" Eddie asked and I shrugged before nodding. "Sweet!"

"And it's not exactly stolen," I explained. "The owner recognized my necklace and said that if I could open the case I could have it. Well obviously I could open the case so..."

"So how many people do you think know, about us?" Eddie asked me later that night.

"The Chosen One and Osirian?" Eddie nodded to confirm that was what he meant. "More than I think you'd imagine. You can't hide something like the existence of the Egyptian gods. You just have the people who accept the facts and believe and those who deny it."

I felt so exhausted by the time I fell asleep I didn't even have time to worry about what tomorrow would bring. I'd missed my friends so much while I was gone, but how could I know they'd accept me back after I'd left them. Eddie did, but he had to. What would Patricia think? Joy? What was this new girl KT like? And most of all what would happen with me and Fabian?

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Eddie shook me awake telling me that Patricia had just texted him that she was almost here. Getting ready quickly Eddie and I agreed to not explain any of the ring stuff until our attic Sibuna meeting tonight.

Eddie greeted Patricia at the cab drop while I helped Victor and the Animal Control man round up the kittens that started this mess in the first place. We'd just sent the van off to the shelter when I walked back inside on a none too pretty sight.

Eddie and Patricia were wrapped in a deep reunion kiss. In a way it was disgusting, but I found it cute at the same time. Patricia and Eddie were a good couple especially now when that Patricia didn't have to keep the Sibuna secret from him.

"Nina?" Patricia asked finally catching sight of me standing awkwardly in the corner. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story and we'll explain it midnight in the attic," I told her giving Patrica a hug I knew she hated.

"You'd better explain why you left us alone!" Patricia told me storming away. I didn't blame Patricia for being upset, but it still hurt to see one of my closest friends mad at me.

Eddie rolled his eyes before running after the temperamental girl. Unsure what else to do I went to follow them when the door opened behind me. "NINA!" Alfie cried giving me a big hug. "I thought you weren't coming back."

"Sibuna," I just told the boy who just gave me the expected nod of understanding. "Midnight attic."

"This should be a fun story," Alfie laughed before running into the kitchen to grab some of Trudy's cookies.

A very confused Jerome and Joy arrived next but, since they weren't technically Sibuna, I just explained it away with the excuse 'life'. All three of us knew it wasn't true, but Joy and Jerome were out. If it didn't effect them they wanted the crazy far away.

From the American accent and the fact I didn't know her I assumed the next girl to walk through the door was KT. She gave me a confused look so I walked over and introduced myself. "I'm Nina. You must be KT. Eddie's said a lot about you in his letters."

KT's eyes bulged as she recognized the name. "Like Chosen One Nina?" she whispered and I nodded.

"Unfortunately."

"It's nice to actually get to meet you. I feel like I know you already from how much everyone says your name," Kt joked. "I kind of took over your position as weird American girl with connection to the house while you were gone. Glad you can take it back now."

"Splendid," I told the bubbly girl sarcastically. "Everyone is in the kitchen. Oh and you didn't see Fabian on your way in right?"

Just as I spoke his name I felt the cool outside air flow in and the most familiar voice speak, "Nina?"

Turning around I saw him, my Fabian, and realized for the first time just how much I missed having him around.


	4. Chapter 4 House of Sibuna

SOOOOOO SORRY for the issue with chapter 2! I fixed it now. Sorry if you were confused... I'm confused as to why the document was being weird.

Two things one, reviews make me happy happy makes me write better. and two if anyone wants to make a cover photo of some sort of ankh ring I'll be eternally grateful to them.

And the reason Mara is gone is because the actress said if there was a season 4 she wouldn't be in it... as this is a season 4 story...

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Chapter 4

House of Sibuna

"Fabian," I began, but the boy moved closer cutting me off.

"I never expected to see you again," he whispered. "You said you couldn't come back but..."

"I couldn't," I promised Fabian clamping his hand in mine. "Because Rufus was evil Eddie and I are never supposed to be together."

"But you're here now," Fabian reminded me. "So what's changed."

Eddie and I agreed not to tell anyone until tonight, but this was Fabian and he had to know. "Victor called me back here because he thought there was a goddess problem." Fabian noticeably stiffened up and I quickly continued, "It turned out it was only a cat problem. He's over a hundred, I guess we should give him a break for being jumpy. I was leaving when Eddie ran into me and now... now he and I HAVE to be together."

"Like.. together, together?" Fabian asked awkwardly causing me to laugh.

"No," I answered with a smile. "Nothing like that. We just have to stay within the same few miles or Eddie gets hurt."

Fabian relaxed a bit at my words before speaking, now to KT who'd been awkwardly standing there. "Where's Mara?" Jealousy flamed within me as I realized that Fabian did what I wasn't able to- he moved on.

"She's gone," Eddie told him walking in from the kitchen. "Some early college program."

"What's with you and girls leaving right after you get together?" Jerome asked Fabian with a slap on the back. "Bad luck mate."

"You guys better get in here before Alfie eats all the cookies!" KT warned from the kitchen. As I went to follow the others Fabian grabbed my arm and held me back.

"I missed you Nina," he whispered looking straight into my eyes. "I missed you more than you could ever imagine." I doubted that. Just thinking of how I felt whenever I looked back and remembered he was gone hurt.

"I missed you too, Fabian." I told him meaning it more than he could imagine. The pain I felt because of the mysteries and troubles we faced here at Anubis couldn't even compare to a single moment of my pain over Fabian. "But I couldn't be here."

"But now you can," Fabian assured. "Now you can't leave."

Looking into Fabian's chocolate eyes I spoke with more sincerity than I knew possible, "Even without the thing with Eddie I could never leave again. Not now after seeing you."

"I loved you," Fabian confessed causing my heart to stop. "I never got the chance to say it, but it's true. That doesn't mean we can go back to being us, you left and no matter the circumstances you hurt me, but I thought you should know. I loved you then and the moment I saw you talking to KT I knew that love didn't go away with time. You're still my Chosen One even if I'm not sure we can be together."

Fabian left to go and greet the others leaving me to speak only to the air, "Fabian," I whispered. "I love you too and will do whatever I can to get you back."

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Everyone seemed to reflect to Eddie now as the leader of Sibuna (not that I objected. I hated it when everyone always looked to me for answers.) Eddie seemed to feel the same way, but I just smirked letting him take over.

"Well then I guess we need to explain what happened don't we. Nina, would you like to explain?" I scowled at the boy, but considering it was my fault I explained everything from the ancient lovers to Rufus to the ring.

"So basically our new Sibuna goal, until something else comes up as I'm sure it will, is to find a way to make it so Eddie isn't reliant on the ring. There is always another way with stuff like this. Always a secret riddle to be solved. With the six of us working together we can definitely find a solution." My words were confident, but what I didn't tell them was that the ring was the alternative method and now we were looking for the alternative alternative method that may or may not exist.

"What do you mean the six of us? I count seven here," A familiar voice said from the attic stairway. Turning around I saw the perfect blonde curls of the one person who could make this reunion better.

"Amber!" Alfie cried running over and giving his ex a hug. We all joined him hugging the girl in turn.

"So you're the reason there is an extra bed in Nina and my room," Patricia reasoned and a smiling Amber nodded.

"But what about fashion school and following your dreams?" Fabian asked and Amber just rolled her eyes.

"It was so not worth it. No one there appreciated my need for pink with every outfit and it was so boring. Do you realize that most high schools don't have secret clubs that fight evil? It's ridiculous!"

Every snorted at the idea of Amber trying to solve mysteries at her fashion school until the girl spoke again. "And as it seems Nina is back, I so want to hear that story, I think we have a problem."

"What problem?" Eddie asked. "Everything seems good to me." We all knew that was a lie, nothing was good for him, but that's just Eddie I guess pretending he's okay when he's not.

"We have two leaders," Amber pointed out. "And we can't have two leaders of Sibuna! As a founding member I think Nina should be in charge."

"Why don't we take a vote," I suggested. "Everyone votes on who they want in charge Eddie or me. Whoever gets the most votes is the absolute leader... not that we still don't all work together."

No one had any objections so everyone wrote their vote on a piece of paper (no hard feelings that way. Not that I'd care if someone didn't vote for me... actually hoped they wouldn't.)

"I'll count the votes," an over-excited Amber told us. Opening up the papers Sibuna's future was decided.

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A/N So who do you want to be Sibuna's new leader? Nina or Eddie? Or should a third party come in and seize control? Tell me what you think in a review because I haven't decided yet.


	5. Chapter 5 House of Trouble

Thanks to all my lovely reviewers. Hearing from you make me so happy. I feel like some relationship drama is needed anyone else?

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Chapter 5

House of Trouble

"Nina it is then," Amber told us counting off the votes. Only one person had voted for Eddie and this clearly ticked him off even though he wanted the job as little as me.

"Wait. So who voted for me then?" Eddie asked and KT raised her hand slightly.

"Sorry Nina but I don't really know you..." the girl excused herself and I assured her it was fine. If I'd been able to vote I would have voted for Eddie too.

"Wait so you voted for Nina Yackers?" An indignant Eddie asked his girlfriend. "Over me?"

Patricia just shrugged, "Last year you got me turned into a soulless sinner... Nina's had better luck as a leader than you." I'd almost gotten Joy and myself killed, but whatever. If that's good luck then I'll take charge. We don't normally need a leader anyways just occasionally to make the tough choices.

"We should head to bed and try to all do some research tomorrow night. Half of us can check the library while the rest search Frobisher's study for clues," Fabian suggested.

"And if Victor tries to give us a hard time remind him that it's his fault this happened because he couldn't tell the difference between a cat and a goddess," Eddie pointed out before the meeting adjured. Back when Fabian would have lingered behind to walk with me, but now he rushed ahead and was the first one out of the attic. Clearly someone was still mad. He had a right to be mad of course, I'd left him with just a note to explain, but knowing he wasn't over it hurt.

Amber wanted us to tell her everything as we were going to bed, but I was too tired to do so. Leaving Patricia to yell at the girl I climbed into my bed exhausted and prepared for classes to start again tomorrow. Technically I'd done an early graduation from my American school and would only have to return for the real graduation in May, so i didn't need to go to classes. Yet at the same time I did because I just wanted some normalcy back in my life (and hanging out here all day with Victor was not my cup of tea.)

In my dreams I saw a dark and crazed woman standing on the edge of a red river. In the swift river my friends were clinging to a single log that kept going under taking them down with it. I tried to reach out towards them, but my entire body was bound by chains.

"Don't struggle my love," the voice told me. "Your death will come in term as I slowly stab a knife into your heart breaking it as you broke mine. For now though I have to deal with this one." On the other side of the blood river Eddie sat struggling against his chair. The ghastly women approached him and slowly pulled the protecting ring from his finger causing Eddie's convulsions to return. I could feel the pounding of my screams inside my head, but no words came out as if my voice had been stolen. Eddie twitched like a dying fly until he moved no more killed by the curse of Osiris.

Tears flowed down my face as the women walked across the blood towards me knife in hand. Just as she was about to plunge it into my heart I felt a new heat on my hand and the whispered voice of Eddie besides me.

I flew away to discover a panicked Eddie, Amber, and Patricia by my bed and Fabian standing pale by the door. Eddie was whispering calming words softly to me and regaining my voice I mumbled in reply, "What happened?"

"That is exactly what I want to know Miss Martin," a growling Victor spoke stepping into the room. "It seems you've woken the entire house. Mr. Rutter Mr. Miller what exactly are you doing in a GIRL'S bedroom at this time of night?"

"It was nothing," Fabian replied coldly heading back downstairs. "Eddie and I were just leaving." Victor knew enough to know it was definitely not nothing, but he didn't seem to mind the Osirian staying as long as Fabian left. Stalking out of the room Victor left me and my terrified friends to our business.

"Nins... are you okay?" Amber asked from where she sat on her plush bed.

"It was really weird Nina,"Patricia explained. "Even weird for you. I woke up to you freaking out and Eddie flying in here raving about a river of blood."

"You saw it too?" I asked looking at Eddie terrified. For his Osirian senses to start tingling this couldn't have just been a dream. Eddie clearly wanted to talk about it as much as I did though, so he just nodded his head.

"I'm sure it was nothing. Probably just a side effect of the strengthened connection. It's all stronger then before with the ring and I'll probably see every little spider that scares you too. I'm sure it was just a dream." Eddie tried his best, but assurance was not his strong suit.

Not for a second did any of us believe that I'd just had a normal nightmare, but we were all too exhausted to think about it more. "It was nothing," Eddie whispered tenderly in my ear before walking back towards his room. My two best friends gave me worried looks, but in turn they both fell asleep too. I laid in bed afraid of what the dream meant for hours. Finally, the sun poked its dawn rays into the night and I fell back asleep just in time for the dream to begin again.

"What the Hell!" An enraged Patricia screamed waking me up from the never ending replay of my terrible nightmare. Looking over I discovered Eddie asleep on the floor next to me my hand in his. Pulling my hand away I waited for an explanation. "Eddie what on earth are you doing!"

"I... don't... it's not..." the boy stuttered as the rest of Sibuna joined us. (Victor, Joy and Jerome must have heard Patricia too, but they'd been smart enough to pretend they knew nothing.) "Nina's dream came back," Eddie tried to explain. "I could feel her terror and fear so I came to wake her again but I couldn't get her up. She wasn't thrashing whenever I toughed her hand so I was holding it and must have fallen asleep."

Patricia glared at me like somehow it was my fault Eddie fell asleep holding my hand and not hers (considering Patricia was his girlfriend). What a mess! Patricia and Fabian were fuming with jealousy (though considering the fact that Fabian and I weren't technically a couple he had no right to be jealous.) Patricia, the queen of jealousy, however did and I knew both Eddie and I were never going to live this down.

Despite it all I was glad for Eddie's efforts to help. In the last few sets of the dream the dark lady hadn't been able to kill me as Eddie rose from the ground where he was dead just in time to stop her. Eddie's touch had forced its way into my dreams as only the Osirian's could. Patricia could be mad all she wanted; it seemed we had bigger problems.

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Can Peddie survive? Does Fabian have a right to be jealous? And most of all who is this dark lady of Nina's dreams? Review with your thoughts!


	6. Chapter 6 House of History

Chapter 6

House of History

Breakfast was… tense to say the least. Take the depression of returning to classes, add everyone's worry over my nightmares, and then place Patricia and a milk carton in the room- it's a recipe for disaster.

After I appeased Amber and let her use some foundation on me (to get rid of those nasty dark circles before Fabian saw them) I walked downstairs into the laughing kitchen and everyone went silent remembering. Joy and Jerome, who despite being out knew something was up, took a bite of their toast each before speaking.

"Rufus?" Jerome questioned.

"Dead. For sure this time," I assured him. The dark lady had been just that, a lady.

"Senkarah?" Joy wondered clearly still frightened of the spirit that almost killed her.

The lady did look a lot like Senkarah, but it wasn't the same spirit who haunted this house last time I was here. "No. She's dead too."

Happy to know that it was neither of their mortal enemies Joy and Jerome went back to eating like normal. I could tell the others were doing their best to stay cheerful, but with what we all knew (because someone had informed KT of the night's events) it was hard.

Something went down between Fabian and Eddie last night, because both boys jumped at the chance to find a chair for me, but with a hard glare Eddie sat it down between him and Amber. Flashing Fabian a regretful smile, I sat down comforted just by the presence of a living Eddie. In the dream I'd known the others were gone, but watching Eddie's life stolen again and again and again… it was beyond imaginable. At least with the others I didn't have to watch as they drowned in a river of blood.

Patricia, who sat on the other side of the table far away from her boyfriend, scowled at Eddie's actions before walking over milk jug in hand. Cringing I waited for the welcome I'd first received from Patricia, but my friend spoke first, "Don't worry Nina. It's not your fault my boyfriend's a rat." Amber quickly slid over giving me room to get away from Eddie as Patricia poured the milk all over him.

"Thanks yackers, that's just what I wanted with my cereal," Eddie told her casually.

"Patricia, you know it's not Eddie's fault…" I tried to remind the girl, but she just glowered and lifted the carton.

"There's still a bit in here Nina so I'd shut up," Patricia warned and I did as she said. Sorry Eddie, you are on your own.

The day didn't get much better from there. The new, new history teacher (we seem to go through quite a few), Miss Joanne Blufish looked sweet, young, and fun, but a few choice words from her mouth and we were all silent.

"You seem to have a very interrupted history education so I'm going to do a quick assessment to see what you know," the brunette told us walking back and forth like a drill sergeant. One by one she went down the rows, picked a historical period, and asked us a question on it.

All of Sibuna freaked when she got to Eddie and the first words out of her mouth were, "Ancient Egypt. What god or gods did the Egyptians see as the ruler of death?"

Eddie gave me a nervous look before replying evenly, "Osiris and Anubis were the two most popular gods of death. Osiris being in charge and Anubis being the one who weighed the goodness of a soul against a feather."

As Miss Blufish a nodded and moved on to the next student there was a visible sign of relief amongst Sibuna. Maybe it was just a coincidence that the Osirian got a question about Osiris… or maybe not.

"And your name," Miss Bluefish asked when she reached me last.

"Nina Martin," I mumbled. Some of the other non-Anubis students exchanged glances as they remembered me, but no one spoke.

"And Miss Martin what can you tell me about Egypt and the 1920's?"  
Whoever this women was, she was not good news. I wouldn't play into her game and panic though (my Osirian was doing that enough for us all.)

"Egypt in the early 20th century was going through a mummy phase. Tombs were being studied and excavated daily and archeologists rushed to get a piece of the action. The entire school was built by one of those archeologists, Robert Frobisher-Smythe who along with his wife Louisa were accused of robbing King Tutankhamen's grave. The Frobishers unfortunately died before any trial could be put together." Well, technically, one died, the other was frozen, and now an old man back in Egypt… but Miss Blufish didn't need to know that.

There was no reaction from the women, but all of Anubis house, even Joy and Jerome, knew enough to know that having this woman around would not end well. She knew something because it was no coincidence that Eddie and I were the only ones to get asked questions about Egypt.

The torturous class only lasted 55 minutes though and soon enough we were free from the women's hard glare and fake smile. Eddie caught up to me before we were even out of the room in a state of pure panic.

"What the heck was that about?" Alfie asked first. "I mean it seemed like she knew something Sibuna to me."

"I said this to Eddie the other day and I'll repeat it to you guys now," I told my friends with my voice steady. "I think there are many people in this world who know about the things we've seen and they can't all be evil."

"But she knew… about you and Eddie," apparently Fabian was no longer mad at me, but there was still a chip on his shoulder directed towards Eddie. "I mean how many people know that you're the Chosen One and him the Osirian?"

Fabian's words rung true. People who knew had always recognized me, often because of the necklace, but how did Miss Blufish know about Eddie being the Osirian?

"The ring!" Amber announced. "Everyone knows you Nins because of the necklace, and if she saw the ring maybe she knew it belonged to the Osirian."

It was possible, and the idea was comforting. Still I didn't like having her around and knowing. It seemed that everyone who knew of Eddie and my identities wanted something from us. We had enough issues with the ring and the dark lady; no way was I going to let this women cause problems too.

"Do you think it's connected?" Eddie asked practically reading my mind. "That we end up with a history teacher who knows at the same time you return and have your dream?" I felt appreciative that Eddie insisted upon calling it a dream when we both knew it was more. The visions were starting again and they weren't good.

"No," I told Eddie and the rest of Sibuna honestly. "They look entirely different. The dark lady was Egyptian and most likely dead. She had that Senkarah ghost vibe about her. Whoever this woman is she's trouble to add to our pile, but she's not the same woman."

Only Eddie and Fabian knew me well enough to know that I hadn't said they weren't connected because to be honest I wasn't sure that was true.

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Dun dun dun! What do you think are they connected? Does Miss Blufish even know or was it a coincidence? FYI she's based off my biology teacher and I think you can tell just how much i love that class...


	7. Chapter 7 House of Ankh

Sorry for not updating yesterday... my account wouldn't let me get into the stories...

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House of Ankh

Midnight found Sibuna in Frobisher's study. "Amber, Alfie, KT and Patricia you guys go through the tunnels to the library and see if you can find anything, no matter how little, referring the Osirian or the Chosen One. Anything might be helpful. Eddie, Fabian, and I will stay here and search the study."

"No way," Patricia objected. "I'm staying here to keep an eye on Eddie. You can go to the library."

An annoyed Eddie held up his ring and spoke. "We don't know exactly the range of this thing and I don't feel in the mood to test it. The library is on the other side of the campus. It's best if I stay with Nina unless you want a dead boyfriend, Yackers."

"Don't worry about it," Fabian told the fuming Patricia. "You stay, I'll go with KT, Amber and Alfie."

Everyone shot me a sympathetic look as the other group set off down the tunnels leaving Eddie, an angry Patricia, and me to search the study.

"It's not you he's mad at," Eddie finally told me in an attempt at making me feel better. "I mean he's not happy you never called and just left him with a letter, but he's mad at me. He feels like you were here first and the only reason you left was so I could be here."

"Don't listen to him," Patricia told me flipping through books. "Basically Fabian is hurting, but you won't have to wait long." I snorted in disbelief because if Fabian's attitude on the matter mean anything yes, I would. He couldn't stand to be alone with me; no way were we getting back together soon. "I'm serious Nina he's nuts about you! It actually was kind of annoying how he never shut up about missing you. We all missed you."

I opened my mouth unsure what would come out, when Patricia stopped me. "Wait a minute. This diary here says paragon… isn't that what Senkarah used to call you? And look now it's talking about the Osirian!"

Snatching the diary away from Patricia my eyes quickly scanned the words.

**December 17, 1922**

**It seems that Sarah has inherited her ancestral role as the Paragon of old. I'd hoped she'd be able to escape Louisa's mothers fate but it seems the gods found it appropriate to make our daughter the only one able to reassemble the cup we stole. I've hidden the pieces around the house, but worry of what will happen to Sarah when its pieces are discovered, as they inevitably will be.**

**December 25, 1922**

** Jeffery Zeno's son has been hanging around Sarah more and more. Louisa swears it is just a crush, but he shares Sarah's birthday and it appears Victor Jr. might not be Sarah's Osirian as I originally assumed. I can only hope Rufus turns into a better man than his father or Sarah and all further Osirians will be doomed. **

Eddie reached over to read the piece, but I tossed it on the floor. "Nice catch Patricia but there is nothing in there that helps us with this problem. Just a cursed man's raving. The others should be back soon and hopefully they've found something."

Right on cue the rest of Sibuna shook the dust from their hair and crawled back into the study paper in hand. "We found it inside a book about diamonds. I figured since Paragon was another word for a perfect 100-carat diamond and for you it might be a good guess. Read what it says." If Fabian and I were together, I could have kissed the boy for his brilliance. The nerdy facts he memorized somewhere along the line always seemed to save the day.

Fabian reached to hand the paper to me, but an excited Amber grabbed it first and began to read, "March 24, 1923. A trial date has been set to which Louisa and I will stand for our crimes; yet, I fear I won't live to see the day. I am unsure what we stole that has brought this wrath down upon me and my family, but I know one thing. The Ankh of Osiris is by far the most dangerous artifact I've ever laid my eyes on. If melted and drunk from the Cup of Ankh any curse can be lifted, but that curse must be carried by another. And it is said if the ankh is drunk by anyone other than the Paragon and Osirian to whom it was originally intended a curse shall befall the land and all shall bleed until there is a river of blood… It cuts off on that peppy note."

I stood frozen thinking of my dream and the river of blood my friends struggled against. This cup could fix Eddie, but at what cost?

"That looks like it came from the diary," Patricia noticed before flipping through the old book to the correct date. "It does! Right between March 22 and the last entry on March 24th there is a little stub."

"What does it say?" Fabian asked. "More gloom and doom?"

"No," Patricia answered looking over the book annoyed. "All it says is 'Beneath the only eternity the first piece is hidden.'"

"So it's a clue," Alfie confirmed looking excited. "I'm glad because I like clues a lot better than challenges or anything we dealt with last year."

"But what does it mean?" Patricia asked. "What's the only eternity?"

We all shook our heads unable to give a response. The last clues made little sense, but this… it was as if Robert wanted only one person to find the pieces and none of us was that person.

"I mean he's alive though. Why don't we just call him up in Egypt and ask where the pieces are hidden?" KT suggested. "I'm sure once he knows why we need it he'll give them to us."

"He was asleep for over a hundred years," Fabian reminded the girl. "But you're right it's all we've got so we might as well try. We'll call him in the morning. Let's get some sleep I think we could all use it."

I agreed with Fabian completely I needed sleep, but as I sat in bed fearing the vision that played in my mind like a needle stuck on a record I got even less sleep that night then the one before.


	8. Chapter 8 House of Paranoia

FYI I had to change the teachers name because of laws... now it's Miss Blufish

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House of Paranoia

Miserable did not even begin to describe how I felt the next morning on two hours of fitful sleep two days in a row. Eddie didn't even need to have his freaky Osirian connection to me if he wanted to know how I felt; it was all over my face.

"Was it her again?" he whispered in my ear and I only nodded. So far only Eddie knew the full extent of the dream. Normally Fabian would know to, but since we still weren't really talking…

"Now this is supposed to be a modern European History class, but to catch you all up so you understand what I'm trying to teach you each have an assignment relating to an ancient topic," Miss Blufish told us strolling back and forth through the classroom later that day. "You will work in pairs." Yes! "That I assigned already…" No!

One by one, Miss Blufish went down the rows telling people their partners and topic. When she reached me I was no way surprised by what she said, "You will work with Eddie Miller with the topic of Egyptian Mythology."

Eddie and I exchanged a 'what the heck does she know' glance, but this time Miss Blufish caught it. "What?" she asked. "I figured you'd two would like that. I don't normally partner up couples…"

"Oh we're not a couple," Eddie quickly corrected before Patricia murdered us all. "Nina and I are just good friends."

"Oh. I apologize then," Miss Blufish told us sincerely casting a glance towards Patricia. (Sharp that one). "Is it the topic then that is bothering you? I just assumed you liked mythology considering Nina's necklace and Eddie's ring. They're replicas of the stolen items from Tutankhamen's tomb, right? I used to live in Dorchester and would always go to the exhibit there. I think there is that exact necklace in the gift shop."

"Yeah, that's where we got them," Eddie lied smoothly. "A couple of us went up there together last year."

"It's a nice exhibit don't you think. So Egyptian mythology, no problem?" Miss Bluefish asked stepping off towards the next pair. Leaving Eddie to giggle and me to give him a strange look.

"What? You don't find it amusing. He we've been worried they she had some sort of mystical knowledge about us and this entire time we've been wearing Egyptian jewelry. It's amusing," Eddie whispered and I might have cracked a small smile. One less worry was good, but it also pointed to the fact that maybe we were getting a bit paranoid. Not everyone was evil and hell bent on the destruction of life as we know it; we just had to be reminded of that sometimes.

At class end that day we'd planned on going back to the house and calling Robert, but the plans were put on hold when Mr. Sweet's booming voice came over the loudspeaker. "Eddie Sweet to the Principals office. Eddie Sweet."

"Has he never heard of a text," Eddie groaned as all eyes turned to the boy whose father ran the school. "Honestly." Eddie turned to see what his dad wanted before flipping back around remembering me.

"I'll be fine for 10 minutes," I promised him. "And most likely whatever your dad wants will make you hope that the few acres between us kills you."

Eddie cracked a smile before heading off towards his family while the rest of Sibuna headed off to call KT's.

"Hello. Is this thing working?" Robert Frobisher-Smythe's elderly youthful face appeared on the computer screen. For someone who'd lived even before the phone was invented… Skype must have been a radical idea.

"Yes Great-grandpa. We can see you," KT told him waving.

"KT!" he cried. "So good to see you. And are the others there?" One by one the Sibuna members Robert knew said hi. "Where's Eddie?" Robert asked noticing him missing. "Nothing has happened I hope?"

"He's fine," Patricia assured. They might have been fighting but I could tell the idea of Eddie getting hurt scared her. "He's just off talking to his dad."

"Louisa?" Robert asked catching sight of me in the background.

A women who I assumed was Harriet Denby spoke in reply from out of sight."No Robert, your wife died a few months after you were frozen," she reminded gently.

"Yes, yes you're right," Robert amended shaking his head. "Old man's brain. You just look so much like Lou when I first met her. Sarah too, or how I imagine she would have looked at your age.

"I've gotten that I look like Sarah before," I confessed to the man. "I'm Nina Martin. It's nice to finally meet you."

Maybe it was just his knowledge of all things Egyptian or maybe someone told him about me, but Robert recognized the name. "So you have the necklace?" I held up the eye to assure him I did. "And if you're there then I'm guessing Eddie has the ring correct?" I nodded and he looked relieved. "Good. Good. Be careful with those. They were some of the less powerful artifacts I acquired, but to the Paragon and Osirian they hold all the power in the world. I found them in a side chamber that probably was the burial sight of Tutankhamun's wife, Amneris, the first Chosen One and your ancestor. I'm glad they've gone to good use."

"About the ring…" Alfie directed. "You wouldn't happen to remember where you hid the ankh of Osiris?"

Robert became frantic at the artifact's name, and Eddie had arrived before he finally calmed down. "Please Robert," Eddie pleaded. "My life depends on it."

"You will live with the ring," he snapped. "The ankh is too dangerous I should have destroyed it completely."

"But you didn't," Amber reminded him. "Hi Amber Millington Sibuna originator. You didn't destroy the ankh and there was a reason for that. You wanted it saved for the right people. Nina is the Chosen One and Eddie a good Osirian. They're the ones the Ankh was designed for and you hid it so only they could use it."

The funny thing about Amber is that she acts dumb, but always knows the right thing to say to people.

"It doesn't matter," Robert told us. "I don't remember where I hid the pieces because I didn't hide them. Louisa did… I wanted nothing to do with it."

"But she was your wife, KT reminded. "Who knew her better than you? Do you know what she could have meant by the only eternity?"

Robert shook his head before turning to Harriet and changing the subject, "Have we paid our taxes yet. I don't remember paying any taxes."

"We don't technically own anything," Harriet reminded the mostly senile and scatterbrained man. "So there are no taxes to pay."

"I doubt that," Robert scoffed. "As Benjamin Franklin said 'only two things in life are certain- death and taxes.' And thank the gods that death is the only one we always have to deal with."

The Skype chat ended and we were left with more questions than answers. What was new.

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So, yeah Miss Blufish not evil... ankh pieces still hidden, and now Eddie has to do something for his dad... review with any theories! I love hearing what you think.


	9. Chapter 9 House of Relationships

I doubt I'll update tomorrow... midterms all last week and I have a ton of studying to do...

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House of Relationships

"So what did your dad want?" Patricia asked Eddie casually over dinner.

Eddie rolled his eyes, looked at Patricia and me and spoke, "Can I ask a huge favor of both of you?"Patricia seemed annoyed that he needed it from me too and to be honest I had no clue where Eddie was going. "My mom is in town on a business trip and wants me, Patricia, and my dad to go out to dinner with her…a family dinner as she calls it."

"Then why does Nina have to be there?" Patricia scowled.

"Because the closest restaurant is miles away and I don't want to explode or whatever," Eddie snapped back at his girlfriend who began to look guilty. It was hard for me to know I had to watch my every step so Eddie didn't get hurt, but this whole ring thing was really bothering Eddie. He was the one who if I made a wrong step got hurt and Patricia was pushing him to the breaking point.

"I'm sorry," Patricia responded to his hard words (and yes I think the world might have ended). "I've been a jerk over this whole thing. It's not your fault that you and Nina are close… it's 'destiny'. It just sucks to be your girlfriend when you spend all your days worrying about Nina. And I mean yeah there are a lot of reasons to worry about Nina, no offence, but sometimes I wish you'd think of me too. Not worry about me, no way, but think of me every once in a while."

Feeling like an outsider, I considered sneaking out of the room, but there was no way of doing that without being really rude.

"Yackers," Eddie told the girl softly, "I never have to worry about you because you can take care of yourself, but don't think for a minute that doesn't mean I'm not thinking about you. Sure, I worry about Nina, that's my job, but whenever I think of Nina and her visions I think about you and how horrible my life would be if something she saw and I couldn't stop, hurt you."

As the couple pulled into a kiss I finally got to make my escape and headed off to Fabian and Eddie's room for some relationship rectifying of my own.

"Eddie's not here," Fabian told me when I opened the door. Rolling my eyes I shut the door behind me and went to sit on the side of the bed where Fabian was working.

"I'm not looking for Eddie. He's out sucking lips with Patricia in the middle of the kitchen, not hard to find. I was looking for you." Fabian didn't look at me, but from the shift in his body I knew he would be hanging on to my every words. "I hate that this has to be the way with us. I understand you're upset about me never calling, but I just couldn't hear your voice. If I had… Eddie would probably be dead by now because I would have been on the next plane over here to see you."

"Nina. I told you that I love you, but I just can't do this again. Even if you're here now in a few months we'll be off to university and I will be in Egypt! I can't handle that heartbreak again… not when I haven't healed from losing you the first time," Fabian confessed.

"Fabian, I know you're going to be in Alexandria, congratulations on the acceptance by the way. Patricia told me how excited you were to actually be able to study in Egypt."

"Then you know that if I'm there and you're on the other side of the world we won't be able to have a relationship."

"But that's not true," I told him tears filling my eyes. "Because I got accepted too. I'm majoring in archeology. We'll be together!"

Fabian looked at me a slimmer of hope in his eyes. "Did you… know? That that was where I was applying?"

"I might have run into Amber in New York who told me you'd been working on the application," I told him faux-guilty. "But that means you're stuck on the same campus as me for four more years… By then you'll probably be happy to get rid of me."

"Nina, I don't think I'll ever get sick of being around you," lifting my head up Fabian placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "Nina. I know we've had a difficult relationship, but I was wondering if you'd be willing to give us another shot and go out with me."

"I think that's a splendid idea," I told Fabian beaming. "And now, boyfriend, I have a request of you."

"Not a very pertinent thing to do so early in the conversation," Fabian teased.

"Eddie is going out to dinner with Patricia and his parents. I obviously need to go too so he's not too far away and I was hoping you'd come with me and let us have a date while they have theirs…"

"Sounds like a wonderful idea," Fabian told me without a second of hesitation. "At least this way I won't have to worry about taking you out to dinner and having Eddie die… I need to apologize to him don't I? I've been acting like a jerk."

"What did go down between you two?" I wondered. Fabian and Eddie had been friends and jealousy really wasn't Fabian's thing.

"It really wasn't much. Basically it boiled down to me not liking how Eddie treated you as fragile, when you aren't, but me also not liking how he did such a poor job at protecting you that you got that scar on your arm."

Feeling Fabian's observant words I pulled up the sleeve, "It was nothing. Just an accident," I lied. It had been so much more, but Fabian didn't need to know. If he really knew what I'd gone through to get the ring for Eddie. If he really knew what had happened... Fabian would be pulling the ring off Eddie himself.

Fabian didn't believe me, but he thought that I'd let the info slide in time. But I wouldn't. There were some things better left unknown.

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So... Peddie is good... Fabina back together, but will it last? And what happened to Nina that she's so unwilling to talk about? Just how far did she go to safeguard Eddie's life?


	10. Chapter 105

Hi guys... I doubt ill get a chapter up tonight as I haven't started it and now have to go out to dinner... so ill just gie you an excerpt instead!

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"How did you find me here?" I whispered looking into her deep, studying eyes.

"Come on Sarah, or should I say Nina. That's my job. I always knew where you were."

"So if trouble came you could throw me under the bus?" I challenged, butter received only a small smile instead.

"No. To pull you from beneath it. They know you're here and they know it was us."


	11. Chapter 11 House of Family

Sorry for the terrible teaser... I just couldn't resist. Now that I'm writing though it appears that won't even happen this chapter but the next that should be up tomorrow. Don't forget to review I love hearing from a side note there is a girl in my chorus who is Patricia 100% and it's kind of amusing.

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Chapter 11

House of Family

Despite Fabian's promise to keep our getting back together and the date on the down-low, Amber knew. Before our dates, Amber dolled me up and attempted to do the same with Patricia. "You know you wouldn't be so stressed about it if you'd just let me do your hair," Amber told our pacing friend while pinning my sandy locks with sparkly bobby pins.

"It's not the date I'm worried about," Patricia spit back. "It's Eddie's mom."

I'd only met the women when she picked Eddie up at the airport before I hopped on my connection to California, but I had a good guess at what Patricia meant. Ms. Miller then had given me a once over and made sure I wasn't the girlfriend before greeting me stiffly. Eddie was nothing like his authoritative and dedicated father, but he was even less like his judgmental and yuppie mother. It seemed a blessing that Eddie's personality was not defined by his genes, but by mine.

"She hated me last time we met. Completely disapproved. Bet she was thrilled when Eddie and I split," Patricia raved. "Bet she would have been thrilled if we did again."

"Well then you just have to prove her wrong," I told my friend sincerely. "Be yourself and let her hate you."

Patricia stared at me clearly thinking I'd gone nuts, "The idea is to get her to like me Nina... did you like hit your head or something?"

"Nins has a point," Amber told the nervous girl. "Don't try to be what Ms. Miller expects, be what Eddie loves and if she's a mother whose approval is worth it then she'll be happy just to see her son happy." Even after all this time, I forget how deep my ditzy blonde friend really was.

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"I really can't thank you all enough," Eddie told Patricia, Fabian and me as we left the house.

I was about to respond that it was the least I could do when I'd gotten us into this mess ,when we caught sight of the school van with Mr. Sweet sitting up front. "Your dad is driving us?" Patricia scowled. "Seriously?"

"He insisted... said there was something he needed to explain," Eddie replied with a shrug helping a flattered Patricia into the van. Fabian helped me in whispering again about how fabulous I looked. We all greeted Mr. Sweet before the van pulled onto the open road.

"You said there was something you needed to tell us," Eddie prompted of his pensive father. Mr. Sweet was one of the first people at this school to be involved in the Secret Society and I'd always known that he knew things. Still, the idea of him knowing something important, maybe game changing, was unnerving.

"I should have told you this a long time ago, back when you asked the night of the exhibition's end," Mr. Sweet confessed guilt heavy in his voice. "But I couldn't at the time. It was all too fresh in my mind; the idea that you hadn't escaped my fate… well I'd always known you wouldn't."

"Your fate?" Patricia repeated. "You mean you know about all the Egyptian stuff because you lived it. You were an Osirian?"

"To who?" I asked confused. There was Sarah and then there was me. I didn't think there was anyone in between us, was there?

"You look a lot like her," Mr. Sweet told me sadly. "Minute I saw the picture on the application I knew who you were. I knew you were the new Chosen One."

"It was Nina's mother wasn't it?" Fabian deducted. "She was the Chosen One between Sarah and Nina and you were her Osirian."

Mr. Sweet nodded focusing his eyes on the road for more reasons than one. "We, like every set, met when she needed me most. There was a resurrected mummy and it was just a mess. I saved your mom from it, but by doing so my Osirian nature was activated. I knew I couldn't stay around her lest I die so I came here and got a job at my old high school. But that meant I wasn't there when she needed me a second time… I just couldn't be."

"There was nothing you could have done," I assured the sad man. "It was a car accident and I don't think Osirian powers extend to drunk drivers."

We all had the same thought in our minds though. My mom was a Chosen One, just like me, who was to say the accident that killed my parents was an accident and not some Egyptian goddess getting revenge.

No one spoke for a long time, until Eddie asked the question I'd missed. "Your father was Rufus wasn't he? He gave the Osirian nature to you and you to me in turn."

Mr. Sweet nodded gravely. "Yes, Rufus Zeno was my father. You're not the only one ever to take their mother's name, Edison. Rufus and Sarah's generation ended with my and Suzan's birth. My powers left me a few months before Suzan's death when you and Nina were born."

"If you really knew all along that Nina was the Chosen One then why did you let the Secret Society think it was Joy?" Patricia challenged clearly annoyed that her oldest friend went through such an ordeal when Mr. Sweet could have stopped it.

"When I saw Nina's application I knew she was Suzan's daughter and from her birthday…I assumed it was Nina. Then Frederick Mercer started talking about how Joy was born on July 7th at 7 and I assumed that I'd been wrong and it was Joy. She too is part of the blood line Amneritis…"

"How are Joy and Nina related?" Fabian asked and I couldn't help but wonder if he was imagining the only two girls interested in him as having a genetic defect that made that so. Typical self-conscious Fabian.

If possible, Mr. Sweets face got even paler, "Nina's mother's father's mother was Sarah… Sarah was 18 when she and Rufus, who I hear were quite a couple, had a set of twins. One was Nina's grandfather, the other Joy's grandmother."

I couldn't help but find it ironic that Joy and I were second cousins considering how annoyingly similar we really were. And if I was really related to Rufus (what a horrible thought) then that made Mr. Sweet my Great Uncle and Eddie my 1st cousin once removed. As if Anubis house didn't have enough weird ancestry connections already.

I opened the locket to the picture of Sarah and really looked at it for the first time since getting it back. She was my great-grandmother and I was grateful that I got to know her, even if I didn't know who she was to me at the time. Studying the picture, I smiled. Everyone was right; we did look a lot alike. A now, as we pulled into the restaurant, I knew why.

"At least you don't have to worry about Nina trying to steal me from you, Patricia," Eddie teased. "We're way to closely related for that not to be wrong in a million ways."

"It is weird though," I told Eddie. "To think that Jerome, Patricia, and you have all been kidnapped by your grandfather and my great-grandfather."

"We're us," Eddie waved off as we stepped into the restaurant and separated to our individual tables. "What isn't weird?"


	12. Chapter 12 House of Mothers

This is mainly going to be a side chapter, but we'll get back to the drama next chapter when you find out what the excerpt that I planned very poorly means. FYI this is coming from Eddie's POV because his 'date' is much more interesting than Fabina's as much as I love them.

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Chapter 12

House of Mothers

"Eddie!" My mother cried as if it had been years not weeks since she last saw me. She looked exactly as she last did at Christmas (though her dyed blonde hair was starting to show its natural gray.) It had been easy when I first arrived in this country to pretend I wasn't related to my dad because I looked so much like my mom. Still, if she continued to have treatment after treatment she'd soon look more like my little sister instead of my mom. Yuck.

"Hayden," my father greeted stiffly. I knew little about my parents' split, but their two personalities are so incompatible I'm still a bit surprised I could be born in the first place.

"Eric, so nice to see you," my mom told her ex-husband cheerfully. I'd noticed it before and I'll notice it again- my dad still loves my mom, but my mom never really loved him-just his money. "And Tricia hon, I was so glad when Eddie told me you worked it out."

Patricia was fuming. No one called her Tricia. Laughing silently, I whispered in her ear, "Ignore her. She's just acting like a witch."

Patricia's look was filled with disbelief as she whispered back casually, "She is a witch," before sitting down in the chair farthest from my mom. Sighing, I knew this was going to be a looong night.

"So is the new term going well?" My mom asked brghtly. I chuckled thinking of all the things that had gone horribly wrong since she dropped me off at JFK Airport the day after Christmas. No, this new term was going terribly, but considering whom we were; little more was to be expected.

"It's been terrific," I lied leaning back and placing my arm around Patricia in a reminder to my mom to be nice. "My friend Nina is back, so now the house is almost half American which is a relief." It was nice to have Nina back, but without even looking down I could picture the ring in my head. The Osiris ring kept me alive, but it could very easily kill me too. I liked having Nina around because my Osirian senses for danger hadn't stopped when she was too far away for me to help. At the same time, however, I wished she'd never returned because it brought unneeded trouble to my last semester.

"Good, good," my mother told me with a smile. "What about you Patricia." I knew she knew the correct name. "Have you been having a good first couple of days back?"

"Oh yeah. They've been great." Patricia was trying to keep the sarcasm from her voice, but I couldn't really blame her for hating this semester. Nina was her best friend, and up until yesterday Patricia thought I was leaving her for Nina. I only wished Patricia would realize that she was my yackers, and that the only way we'd ever not be together was if she didn't want it. _Or your ring came off. Or Nina left the safe zone. Or Nina got killed and I did too._

Don't you just love that voice in the back of your mind?

"What do you think of the new history teacher?" My dad asked. "Miss Blufish has never taught before and I'd be thrilled if you'd keep me up to date with how well she's doing."

Patricia looked at me clearly thinking of how we'd thought up until yesterday that she was evil and wanted to kill us. "She's… nice." Patricia answered hesitantly. "A bit harsh, but nice."

"Good good. Very good." My dad beamed. "With the same alma mater I felt obliged to give her the job, especially when there were so few applicants. People seem to think the job is cursed! Imagine that."

It wasn't hard to imagine considering the one during freshman year had a heart attack. Mr. Winkler died. And Miss Denby was evil.

"Does everyone know what they wish to order?" My dad asked looking around the table.

"I was thinking the Chicken Parmigan," Patricia answered. "Looks good."

My mom scoffed before speaking, "I think you'd do much better with the house salad Patricia honey. We girls have to watch our weight you know."

Patricia moved to yell at her, but I squeezed her knee and spoke with my eyes. 'Please,' they said. 'Remain calm for me.'

Patricia sat back down and scowled (which to my mom was probably worse). "You know Edison," my mother had on her 'you can do better' face and I knew trouble was brewing. "I don't get why you can't just date respectable girls. I understand you're trying to rebel honey, but coming up with Patricia as a fake girlfriend time and time again, it's getting old. She's not even pretty!"

This time I neither wanted to nor was able to hold Patricia back. The poor, unsuspecting bus boy quickly had his water jug pulled away and dumped all over my mom. As my mom's make-up ran Patricia sat back pleased and spoke calmly. "And it's a shame ma'am that you don't know your son well enough to realize that I'm the best thing that has ever happened to him."

Fuming my mom stormed from the restaurant drawing everyone's attention with her howling about dry-clean only and delinquent children. Fabian who was sitting in the corner table gave me a sympathetic shrug.

"Well thank god that worked," my father told us wiping up the extra water. "I couldn't stand another minute of her. Congratulations Miss Williamson. You just managed to do in 15 minutes what took me three years. You got her to leave."

Patricia cracked a smile and I spoke. "You're right though. You really are the best thing that ever happened to me."

Not caring that my father/headmaster was sitting right there, Patricia pulled me in for a kiss. The second our lips met however a sharp pain hit my stomach and I jumped from my seat running.

Nina!


	13. Chapter 13 House of the Past

I know I changed the excerpt, but same general idea.

* * *

Chapter 13

House of the Past

Fabian and my date started well. Then I saw the waitress.

She looked exactly as I remembered her which was more surprising than anything. Kat had been the one to tell me that it was never good to keep the same look when you were in her business because then you could be recognized. Maybe that is why she looked the same as she did when we parted last October- Kat wanted me to recognize her.

"Can I get you anything to drink," Kat asked diving into her cover as a waitress. I wondered when she got this job and how she knew that eventually I'd turn up. Whom am I kidding? This is Kat we're talking about she probably knew I'd be coming here before I was even in the country.

"I'll take a coke please," Fabian told her completely oblivious to the nature of the women he addressed. Fabian was never supposed to know of Kat and her gang. He was never supposed to know about how I got the ring. Kat just had to show up here and destroy everything.

But if Kat was here I had bigger problems than Fabian and my relationship.

"I'll just have water," I told the girl. It was code of course, everything with Kat is in code. Water was the first code word I learned and it meant meet me outside by the drain and that would be exactly what Kat would do.

"Sure thing. It will only be a moment," Kat told me smiling wickedly. Why did she have to be here? Why could I never shake my past?

As Kat walked away, I excused myself from Fabian to go to the bathroom and ducked out of the restaurant. Typical Kat somehow beat me there despite having been farther away than me.

"How did you find me here?" I asked the girl who no one would notice unless they were looking. Kat could hide alone on a Broadway stage if she wanted to; it's a gift.

"Come on Sarah, or should I say Nina, it's my job to know where everyone involved in our little gang is at every moment in time. You threw me off a bit by leaving the country, but not much. I always knew where you were."

It didn't surprise me on bit that Kat knew my name was not Sarah as I told her. She probably knew more about me and my family than I do with all her resources. "Better question then. Why are you here Kat? Is it just to ruin my date or are you coming to blackmail me into doing something. Because I'm out. I'm grateful to you guys for helping me steal the ring, but I'm out."

"The boy you were with, Fabian Rutter, is he the one you needed the ring for?" Kat asked even though she probably knew already. It scared me that Kat knew Fabian's name. It wasn't good when she cared enough to learn it.

"You leave him out of this," I spit back at her. "You leave us both out of this."

"No can do Nina," Kat told me buoyantly. "I'll leave Fabian out of this, because obviously the ring isn't for him. It's for the Osirian, right? I've been doing my research you see and I know all about you and the Osirian." Kat knew a lot, but she didn't know who the Osirian's identity and no way was she finding out from me.

"What do you need from me, is it a job? I wasn't much help during the first one I don't know why you need me."

Kat staired at my scared arm clearly thinking of the first job where I got it. We'd broken into the Met museum and stolen it, but the case required a blood sacrifice to be opened and since I needed the ring it was my arm that got cut.

"I'm here to warn you Nina," Kat told me sincerely. "We didn't talk much, understandably, but I like you and would hate to see you get hurt. They know where you are, and they know it was us. You should run, cross the channel, change your name and disappear."

If it was only my life on the line I might very well have taken Kat's advice, but if I ran Eddie had to come with me and I couldn't do that to him. "The police? They know it was us?"

"The Met didn't own the ring Nina," Kat told me softly. "It was on loan from a private collector Dr. Lewis Blue. Dr. Blue's father bought the ring at an auction of the Frobisher-Smythe's stuff upon their death."

If Dr. Blue was looking for it then he knew its power and wanted to use me, or Eddie, to his advantage. I could see this playing out already. Dr. Blue would let us keep the ring, but only after we gave him eternal life or made him a god. That's all anyone ever wanted from the Chosen One and if it meant Eddie got to keep the ring then I'd give him and everyone he knows tears of gold. I'd even steal back the Mask of Anubis myself.

"Nina," Kat's voice had changed as she saw something. "I'm really sorry about this." Before I had time to process her words Kat kicked me in the stomach and pulled a gun to my head. Panic shot through me as I imagined Eddie crumbling to the ground dead by some bullet never to hit his skull.

But the shot didn't come. Kat just held the gun to my head as Eddie, Patricia, Mr. Sweet, Fabian, and a group of police officers appeared. Now I understood what Kat meant by sorry- she was making me her hostage.

Eddie, Osirian nature overcoming reason, tried to rush towards me, but his clear headed father stopped him. Mr. Sweet had been an Osirian once. He knew how Eddie felt, but he cared too much about his son to let him help me.

"Katarina Cleveland you are under arrest for Grand Larson, assault of police officials, and evading arrest," one officer called from the side. "Put the gun down and hand yourself over."

"You've been busy," I told Kat trying to be light. (It was made hard by the gun on my head.)

"Shut up Nina and listen," Kat told me not even moving her mouth. "I'm not going to shoot you and kill your blonde Osirian over there." So much for her not knowing about Eddie. "I'm going to put the gun down and get arrested. They're going to want to know where the ring is though and I'm going to tell them. Dr. Blue is going to come and claim it and you need to convince him to let the Osirian keep it. I don't need him to die. I'll tell the cops you were a hostage when we broke into the met and that I gave you the ring as an 'apology' and kept the other stuff." I hadn't even known Kat had stolen anything else when we were there. "You won't be charged. You must do anything you possibly can NOT to get charged, okay?"

"Why are you helping me?" Why was Kat not going to turn me in and try to get herself off the theft charges? It was my blood they'd found, not hers.

"I did a lot of research and I know what you do for this world. I know how you fight for it. And there is a storm coming Nina, a storm that only you and your living Osirian can defeat. Let me be a willing sacrifice so the rest of the world doesn't go down with you."

With her final words Kat thrust me towards Eddie and Fabian's protective arms and sacrificed her freedom. Kat knew about the women in my dreams and if that was true then she was right.

The was a storm coming, but from what my dream said Eddie and I wouldn't live long enough to stop it.


	14. Chapter 14 House of Explanations

Chapter 14

House of Explanations

"Are you okay?" All my friends asked at the same time. In all honesty I really, really wasn't, but that's not what they wanted to hear.

"I'm fine," I reassured. "I'm fine."

"What the Hell just happened?" Fabian asked. "It that our waitress?"

"She's no waitress," the officer who spoke to us was young, so young that this could easily have been one of his first high-profile cases. "Katarina Cleveland is a world renowned pest. She's stolen from famous museums in five different counties the latest being the Metropolitan museum of Art in New York back in October. She's been on the Interpol radar since she was 12 years old and is now only 18."

"How on earth has she evaded capture that long," Patricia asked and the agent only scoffed.

"She hasn't, been arrested loads of time, but never convicted. She won't get off on this though. This is taking a new step. I know you've been through a lot, miss, but I need you to answer a few questions for me."

"Sure," I told him hoping that whatever I said would be close enough to the story Kat would eventually give.

"Was this the first time you met Katarina?" the officer asked me whipping out a notebook.

"No," I answered causing everyone, especially Eddie, to stiffen. "I'm from New York and only here for school. Last October she… she kidnapped me and held me hostage. It was while she was working on the Met job. One of the things she stole was in its original case and the only way to open it was by the blood of a certain ancestry. I don't know how but she tracked me down… I'm related to some ancient Egyptian Priestess who must have owned the box. Kat tied me up and took my blood," for effect, I showed the scar on my arm. "After the job was done she let me go, but told me I'd be dead within a day if I went to the police. I was so scared. I know I should have gone to the cops, but I was afraid she'd kill me." All the stress of my dreams, the ring, and meeting Kat bubbled over and I felt myself shaking hysterically.

"Don't worry," the officer told me kindly. "You won't be in any trouble. You're very young and it isn't hard to imagine Katarina killing you if you told the police. "Just a few more questions." I nodded, wanting to get this over with. "Did you happen to hear any of the places Katarina hid the things she stole?"

I shook my head, "No. I didn't know anything. I don't even know if my blood worked to open the case, but I doubt it. The idea that somehow I have enough of those genes after 25 hundred years is insane. Isn't it?"

"Completely," the agent lied to me. He knew as well as I did that there were boxes thought to be blood-locked that Kat opened. I was right about the impossibility of it;it would have been impossible for just anyone related to Amneris to open the box. But I'm not anyone. I'm the Chosen One and my blood could open a million impossible things in this world. "And you haven't seen her since she let you go?" I shook my head. "And you have no idea why she came after you?"

"Maybe she thought I turned her in…" I offered. "Is that all because I need to get back to school."

"Of course. Just could you give me some contact information in case we have any more questions." I did so and then was quickly hurried away by my friends and Mr. Sweet. Once we were in the car it was Eddie who spoke first.

"Are you really okay? Because you don't feel okay?"

My heart was pounding, I left ready to cry, and I'd never been more terrified in my life. Eddie and I were connected. I could lie all I wanted and he wouldn't believe me because he felt what I felt. "I will be," I assured them all. "Are you okay because I got kicked in the stomach and you must have felt it too?"

Eddie grimaced at the same pain I felt because unfortunately for him Eddie didn't have the same adrenalin to take the mind off the pain. "I think she might have broken a few ribs." As Mr. Sweet diverted the car from the school to the hospital Fabian asked what I knew had been coming.

"So how much of that was true?"

"Bits and pieces." The story was out now anyway; there was no use to lying. "Kat and I did meet last October, but she didn't kidnap me. I came home one night and she was in my apartment waiting. I swear Kat knows everything and she knew I was looking for a way to steal the ring from the museum. She told me the ring box was blood-sealed, but I assured her that wouldn't be a problem… it only opened at the blood of the Chosen One. I didn't tell her why it would work of course, but she knows. Like I said she knows everything. I gave Kat the blood and she broke into the museum stealing the ring for me. I always wondered why Kat didn't ask for payment but now I know. She used the blood not just to get the ring, but to steal other things as well. I hadn't seen her since October, but she tracked me down to say she was turning herself in. The man who owns the ring is going to come looking for it."

"But if Eddie takes it off he dies!" Patricia interrupted.

"We're just going to have to convince him to let Eddie keep it," I told Patricia with a shrug. Kat seemed to think he knows the truth about Eddie and me, so hopefully we can use that to our advantage. We have to give him what he wants; just not the ring."

I didn't tell them what she said about the storm; that was a weight for me to carry alone.

"Why on earth would you have done it, Nina?" Eddie asked softly. "Why did you go through all that to steal the ring?"

"Because I knew we'd meet again. I knew that someday something would happen and you'd need the ring to survive. You saved me from Senkarah and you're like a brother to me Eddie. I would do anything to keep you from getting hurt by this curse. If that meant giving my blood to an international criminal so be it; I needed the ring to keep you safe."

"Thank you," Eddie told me sincerely.

"Don't thank me," I told him trying, and failing, to smile. "You're the one who's wearing the stolen jewelry."


	15. Chapter 15 House of Blue

Chapter 15

13 hours, 27 minutes, 19 seconds- that's the amount of time that passed between Kat's arrest and the knock on the door. I'd finally gotten to sleep without dreams of death (Kat broke two ribs and I was on some pretty heavy pain killers) so, despite the pain, I felt good the next morning. (Maybe that was just the pain killers talking though… it's all a bit fuzzy still.)

Eddie and I were taking the day off and nursing our identical injures. At the hospital we went in separately, but I heard the nurse wrapping Eddie's chest that he was the second person that day with the same exact injures. No one back at the house questioned it-they all knew it was just the weirdness that comes with Eddie and me.

Victor was off being Victor and Trudy at the grocery store when the knock rang through the house. Eddie and I exchanged a glance before calling for him to come in.

Dr. Blue was nothing like I expected. His hair was so dark it appeared black, but his eyes the most startling shade of blue I'd ever seen. The doctor was young, probably mid 20's, and, if I wasn't terrified of what he'd ask, I'd even call the man hot.

"You must be Nina Martin," the well-dressed man told me with extended hands. "And you are?" he asked of Eddie.

"Eddie," my Osirian spit back not even trying to be cordial. We both hated this man from the get-go, but Eddie wasn't going to pretend otherwise.

"I'm Dr. Roger Blue. It seems that you Miss Martin somehow came into possession of a stolen artifact…."

"Can we not play this game?" Eddie asked sitting up despite the grimace of pain he clearly felt. "We all know what is really going on here, so let's not pretend otherwise."

"Whatever you wish," Dr. Blue told us sitting down on the chair across from us. "I grew up on tales of Egypt. My father you see was an Egyptologist specifically interested in myths. My favorite story as a child always was that of Asim and his forbidden love Amneritis. I thought the story sweet, but I did for the longest time think it was just that-a story. Then, I was doing practice hours at a local senior home where I met Miss Sarah Frobisher-Smythe. Of course, I knew her as Emily, but same difference. At the time I knew her Sarah's graying mind had yet to kick into defense mode and she spoke freely about curses, Egypt and her being the Chosen One. Everyone else thought it to be the mindless babbling of an old women, but I knew the stories and came to believe.

Upon Sarah's death there were items in museums that belonged to her parents and then to her. Not even Sarah knew she owned these things. Everything her parents had stolen from Tutankhamen's tomb, minus the infamous Cup of Ankh and Mask of Anubis, went on sale. One of the items was a sealed box with a silver ankh ring inside. No one could open the box, but legend said it could only be opened with the blood of Amneritis. All Chosen One's have the same blood; however, so I bought it and waited knowing that eventually the Chosen One would come looking for the ring to keep her Osirian alive."

Dr. Blue looked down at Eddie's hand where the ring shone in the light.

"It is my property of course, so I could just demand you hand it over. But you look like a bright young man Mr. Miller and I'd hate to see you drop dead, so I'd like to propose a deal."

"You can't have the cup," I told the man firmly. "It takes a life each time used and Eddie's life for another is no deal."

Dr. Blue just laughed, "Elixir of life is an old man's treasure. My problem is much simpler. I need only a few drops or so of each of your blood."

"Our blood?" Eddie repeated. "Why do you need our blood?"

"The blood of the Osirian and the Chosen One? You must know how powerful that is in a ritual? With only a few drops I could track down any grave and become not only rich, but famous too."

Eddie and I exchanged a look. If our blood really was that powerful, what else could he use it to do? What kind of horrors could this young man use our blood to bring down upon this planet?

"It's entirely up to you. The ring for anyone besides the Osirian is completely useless. A few drops to find one tomb and then we're even. Eddie's life for my notoriety. No funny business at all," Dr. Blue swore.

"We have to give it to him," I told Eddie once Dr. Blue stood and walking into the kitchen. "Otherwise you die. We don't have many options here."

"But do you honestly think he's telling the truth about only wanting to find a tomb?" Eddie asked skeptically. In all actuality I didn't, but Eddie was hurting because of me. Eddie's life was on the line because of me. There was absolutely nothing we could do.

"He's a young man in a field that does a lot of good for little recognition and his father never found anything noteworthy or I'd have heard of him. Yes, I believe he just wants a place in history next to Howard Carter."

"Fine then," Eddie now spoke for Dr. Blue to hear. "It's agreed. You came ready for this I'd assume?"

The doctor pulled out matching butterfly needs and those small viles blood samples go in at the doctor's office. I felt bad for Eddie, who felt the prick twice (once for my pain once for his), but quickly enough we were done.

"There is just one thing I think you failed to mention to them Roger," in all the blood taking I hadn't even heard Victor return. "The blood tracking spell will only work with the owners of the blood within 200 miles of the tomb you are tracking."

"Well yes, I did forget to mention that," Dr. Blue said smiling fakely. "You two don't mind a trip to Egypt, right?"

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#Sibuna goes to Egypt! I know I'm getting pretty far away from the original mystery, but everything will tie together. Promise. Plus, this is like a season and there were always side stories in those. I hope you're enjoying. Review with who you'd like to see go to Egypt and anything interesting you think should happen there.


	16. Chapter 16 House of Awkward

Chapter 16

House of Awkward

This was so not what we had signed up for. "Egypt. Please tell me this is some sort of sick joke? Nina and I have two broken ribs each! We're not going to Egypt." Eddie bellowed at the man. Dr. Blue was lucky Eddie had two broken ribs or he probably would have ended up with a broken face.

"And even if we weren't mangled we wouldn't go to Egypt with you! That was not part of the deal." Sure, I wanted to go to Egypt, I was going to university there for Pete's sake. Yet no way was I going with Dr. Blue!

"That's a shame you two won't cooperate," Dr. Blue told us frowning. "I guess I'll just have to take my ring back and tell the police how you really came into possession of it. They you Miss Martin can live out your days in jail and Mr. Miller can live out his in the afterlife."

That son of a bitch.

"Agreed then? I'll make the travel arrangements tonight and we can meet at the airport tomorrow. I'll even arrange four tickets so you can take your little friends. I hear you both make very cute couples." Dr. Blue stood and made his way to the door while Eddie and I glared at him. "As for the ribs. There was a story my father told me of Asim's son, the first Osirian, healing Amneritis' daughter, his Chosen One, of a crocodile bite that would have killed her. I'm sure you both can figure something out." Dr. Blue tipped his hat as if we were friends before walking out. "See you both tomorrow."

"Come here," a resigned Eddie told me scooting closer on the couch. "And lift up your shirt."

"WHAT!" What the ….

Eddie only laughed, "I don't mean all the way. Just so I can feel your ribs. We might as well test out that story of his because a 5 hour flight and trucking though the desert with broken ribs won't be fun." I lifted an eyebrow and a chuckling Eddie continued. "No funny business. Promise."

Eddie trusts me with his life, maybe it's time for me to trust him just a little bit too. Glad that I'd worn a sports bra, I lifted my shirt and waited for a snide remark about the weight.

None came and when I looked into Eddie's eyes I saw a shine I'd only seen when he banished Senkarah from me last year. I barely remember assembling the cup of ankh because that wasn't really me doing it. That gleam I saw in Eddie's eyes told me that whatever he was doing felt the same way to him. Eddie's hands moved on their own and he whispered something firmly in Ancient Egyptian. Just as the pain of his pressure began to subside I heard the house door swing open and Patricia scream.

"What the hell is going on here!" A fuming Patricia and Fabian stood side by side in the doorway looking at the compromising position of Eddie and me.

"It's so not what you think," Eddie told them jumping from the couch. I waited to see which one would hit him first and Fabian quickly won the draw.

As Eddie's nose bled I jumped from the couch and tried to explain in a way the jealous pair would believe. "It really was nothing."

"Well it looked to me like Eddie was feeling you up! Why on earth would you let him do this Nina?" Fabian yelled at me.

"He wasn't 'feeling me up'. He was healing me look. I can stand. I can bend. No pain!" To emphasize my point I did a little dance. "Nothing is broken."

"So now Eddie can heal people?" Fabian asked dubiously. "Can he heal my hand because I think I just broke it punching him."

"You deserve it then," I told Fabian scowling. Sure, it was nice that he wanted to protect me, but punching Eddie in the nose was not the right way to go about it. "Anyways it's an Osirian thing so most likely Eddie's still not going to become a doctor."

Eddie returned from the kitchen nose no longer bleeding, and luckily straight. "Thank god you don't know how to throw a punch Rutter," he mumbled.

Cheeks flaming as Fabian realized just how much trouble he was in I heard my boyfriend start apologizing profusely.

"No worries man," Eddie told him. "I would bash your face in too if I caught you with my girlfriend's shirt half on."

Patricia scowled still not happy with the situation even if she understood. "And you couldn't do this healing with Nina's shirt on?"

"Doesn't work that way," Eddie told Patricia stepping close to her. "I didn't realize what I was doing. One second I'm thinking of how Dr. Blue said I could heal Nina and the next I hear the house telling me to place my hands on her skin. I just did as I was told."

"Well I don't like it," Patricia said still the green-eyed monster. "But I'm glad you and Nina are now healed."

"Wait," Fabian interrupted recovering from his mistake. "Did you say Dr. Blue was here? Is that why Victor called us back to the house in the middle of English?"

I nodded, "The man is holding the whole ring thing over our heads so now Eddie and I need to go to Egypt so he can do some tracking ceremony and discover an Egyptian tomb with our blood."

"And since we didn't want to go alone you guys are coming too," Eddie finished for me. "That is if you want to."

"Well I'm thrilled to go to Egypt…. Even if this is a bit weird," Fabian answered quickly.

"And I'm not letting you go without me so I guess it's just the four of us then," Patricia concluded.

"And Dr. Blue," I reminded.

"Yeah… and Dr. Blue," Eddie told us with a scowl. This was so not going to be the fun vacation to Egypt Fabian was hoping for.

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Hope Lion's tips on how NOT to upset your girlfriend/boyfriend

Don't do anything I wrote in this chapter.

So what do you guys this? Egypt what shall happen? As for Eddie's healing ability him and Nina are getting closer. How exactly is that going to end?


	17. Chapter 17 House of Journeys

My updates are going to be spotty all week because I have midterms. Still, since I have half days, I'm hoping to get at least one chapter up a day from here on in. Also, if anyone else sees the irony in this, I wrote this in theology class...

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Chapter 17

House of Journey's

"You okay?" Eddie's words directed at Patricia floated across the plane aisle into my hearing.

"I'm fine," I heard her lie. Eddie's face was turned away from me, but I could imagine the dubious look that made Patricia continue. "Fine, I don't like planes. They shouldn't be able to fly and I don't trust them."

Eddie only laughed, "Yackers, I can heal broken ribs and banish spirits. You were a sinner possessed by an ancient Egyptian monster; yet, you don't believe planes should be able to fly?"

"That's different," Patricia argued, but she sounded less worried as the plane took off. If there was one thing that all of Sibuna had learned in our days it was that some things just were and had to be accepted despite their lack of logic.

We'd taken a taxi to the airport where Dr. Blue stood dressed even more formally than yesterday. The four of us wearily followed him through the airport and onto the plane, all worried about his true motives. Eddie especially seemed jumpy and I wished I had a chance to ask what was bothering him so much. Obviously, it was some sort of Osirian thing, but I got the unnerving feeling that he was hearing something even I couldn't.

The plane was a large one; the type with two seats by either window and three in the middle. I was pressed against the window, Fabian next to me, then Patricia, Eddie, and Dr. Blue in the middle. "You think it's a coincidence Dr. Blue is trying to keep Eddie and me apart or is he up to something?"

Fabian looked startled by my words, obviously not having noticed that the man kept walking between my Osirian and me. "I think he's definitely up to something. We just have to make sure it's not going to get us killed."

Well isn't Fabian just fantastic at comforting me?

Worried about being overheard, Fabian and I talked lightly falling back into our natural, easy, conversations. You know that person who you can talk to for hours without saying a thing? That was always Fabian and me and I loved reclaiming that easy friendship. The first few days back when I was near Fabian but unable to connect to him were much worse than the months we'd spent about. And the fear that he'd never forgive me… that was worst of all.

"It's a sunny 70 degrees here in Cairo," the air stewardess informed us. "We'd like to thank you for flying Egypt air and hope you have a wonderful trip."

"Are we going to run into people every few feet who recognize you two's jewelry and want to I don't know have you do your thing?" Patricia's sentence made little sense, but Fabian got her meaning well enough.

"Actually, you're more likely to run into people who worship the Egyptian gods in the United States than here. 90% of Egyptians are Islamic and if it's not an Abrahamic religion, that is to say Islam, Judaism, or Christianity the Egyptian government doesn't even recognize it as existing."

"You're much more likely to run into annoyed Egyptians who think you're fanatical tourists and bought those in a gift shop." Dr. Blue informed leading us from the airport. "Officially, the tomb of Tutankhamen is closed from public viewing due to the disastrous effects of containments on the ancient relics. Unofficially, however, I have arranged a special tour for us. I figured that as I'd dragged you here I might as well show you some of your heritage."

Okay. Maybe there were some perks to this whole ring thing.

"You okay?" Eddie asked as we later that day approached the tomb.

"It's just the sun," I lied. Indeed the scorching desert sun was giving me a splitting headache. Eddie however didn't believe for a second that that was all. "It's weird to think that this tomb is the resting place of my illegitimate ancestral pharaoh."

Fabian opened his mouth, probably to say some random fact about Tut, when my necklace recognized the location and began to grow. None of the Sibuna gang gave it a second glance, and Dr. Blue did only that. Our tour guide, a Muslim man, however began raving in Arabic (probably about ungodly things) before running in the other direction leaving us alone outside the tomb.

"Eddie?" We'd just been about to enter the tomb when an old man's voice called from behind. Turning I found myself face to face with none other than Robert Frobisher-Smythe.

"Robert," Fabian answered startled. "Harriet. What are you doing here?"

"He insisted!" Harriet Denby (the real one) told us. "Said he wanted to look the tomb in the eye and say it can't curse him again."

"Do you know these people?" Dr. Blue asked clearly annoyed by the interruption. If only he knew.

"Nina. You shouldn't enter this place," Robert told me hurriedly. "You might just uncover more than Howey ever did. Sarah's presence around the cup pieces when we brought them home was catatonic."

"Wait a minute," Dr. Blue spoke connecting the dots. "You're Robert Frobisher-Smythe. You should be dead!"

Robert only laughed at the inspiring Egyptologists words, "It seems not even death last an eternity for the cursed."

"What did you just say?" Fabian asked piping up.

Robert winked at me before stepping into the tomb he robbed over 75 years before. Shrugging, Dr. Blue, Eddie, and Patricia followed. I went to go after them when Fabian grabbed my arm.

"You don't really think me going inside is a bad idea, right?" I believed in a lot of things, but something told me nothing was going to happen because of my presence.

"Of course not, Robert is old and confused. But don't you get it? We asked Robert if he knew what his wife meant by 'the only eternity' and he went babbling on about death and taxes. Now he said death can't last an eternity for the cursed…."

"You think that the only eternity is death? But how can you get beneath death?" Fabian's point was a good one and it would make the wink make sense. Still, death is a concept not a thing. You can't get beneath it.

"There is a crypt back at school with Roberts tomb. Louisa wasn't buried there though, she'd buried somewhere else because they 'died' at different times. What if Louisa buried the ankh piece _beneath the coffin?_"

Hugging my brilliant Fabian I smiled deeply. I was exploring an ancient tomb, discovering a new tomb, and then, when we returned home, I knew where to look for the first ankh piece and next clue.

As I descended into the tomb of my child ancestor things were starting to look brighter for Sibuna.


	18. Chapter 18 House of Tutankhamen

Chapter 18

House of Tutankhamen

The staircase we had to go down was steep and I couldn't help but think of the decent into the afterlife… but maybe that's the point.

Many of the artifacts had been cleared out and placed in various museums, but the murals enough were amazing. Frobisher, walking with purpose, led us into the burial chamber.

"They're moving," Eddie and I whispered in unison. Everyone turned to us like we had gone nuts (and maybe we had), but Frobisher just let out a sad smile.

"Like I said. It has power." Robert ran his hand on the side of the golden sarcophagus, "Your necklace Nina?"

Hesitantly I walked over and saw the small indent on the ancient coffin. Pressing the necklace against the indent, I saw the familiar light and heard the creak of shifting stone. "One day I found the necklace lying on the ground yet to be recorded. We'd been debating for days the purpose of the marking and when I saw the necklace, I used it. It didn't work, but when Louisa tried it this happened. She, herself, was never a Chosen One, but the bloodline was there and the necklace responded. No one else was around and we never told anyone about the other chamber… Well you just have to go down and see for yourself why."

Eddie shrugged and we all hesitantly followed him down into the hidden chamber of King Tutankhamen's tomb.

I understood immediately why the Frobishers kept this remarkable discovery a secret. "The cursed king," Dr. Blue translated from the hieroglyphs lining the wall.

"Tut's father rejected the god Amun-Ra and that didn't fly with anyone. Ra cursed Akhenaten by making his heir die young and without any heirs effectively cutting off the royal line. Tut did have a single daughter, but being Amnertis' child she wouldn't have gotten the throne if she was a man." Frobisher explained. "The Egyptians liked Tut, considering he reinstated Ra as the main god of Egypt. They thought that by burying him with all the artifacts of the gods Tut might have the help of the gods on his journey to the afterlife. Tut was never forgotten. The tomb just was never robbed because only a madman would want to get near these celestial artifacts. That means no touching."

"What's going to happen? Am I going to get cursed again?" Eddie mumbled. No one was supposed to hear him, especially not Robert, but the old man's hearing was better than expected.

"You shouldn't even be anywhere near here! Tutankhamen knew about Asim's love for his mistress who knows what your presence will do," Frobisher yelled at the boy.

"Leave him alone," Patricia spit back. "Nothing weird is going to happen."

As if to prove Patricia wrong Eddie screamed, "Nina don't!"

I looked at him confused before realizing that I'd been seconds away from touching a golden flail. How had I not even noticed my own movement?

Eddie and Fabian pulled me away from the artifacts that seemed to have taken control over me. "Like I said. You shouldn't be down here," Frobisher told me with an *I told you so* look that could rival any teen's.

"Is that the flail of Anubis?" Dr. Blue asked steeping closer to the celestial artifact. "I thought that was just a myth."

"If you're using the Osiran and Chosen One you should know very well that nothing is just a myth," Robert spit back. And to think I'd thought the old man had seen nothing abnormal with the situation. "Yes. The flail belongs to Anubis and somewhere around here is the crook of Osiris. We'd better hope Eddie doesn't find that or we'll really have a catastrophe on our hands.

"You mean that thing?" Patricia asked pointing to the golden artifact in the corner. This time it was my turn to hold Eddie back from his Osirian instincts.

"What would happen if they touched them?" Fabian asked Robert who seemed to know everything. "Would they be cursed?"

"They've already been cursed. They were cursed upon conception, before then really. Nina as the Chosen One has the power of Anubis and Eddie the power of Osiris. Those objects, if in their hands, could rip a hole into the afterlife right here and now."

"So if someone without godly power touched them they'd be fine?" Patricia deducted. "I mean I wouldn't rip a hole in the Universe?"

"No. Nothing should happen to you because I doubt they're cursed," Robert admitted. "But you should still leave them alone! They're dangerous."

Patricia rolled her eyes as if to say she wasn't planning on touching anything, but I noticed Fabian had a suspicious look on his face. He wasn't really planning on stealing something, right? Didn't he have enough sense to leave this stuff alone?

"We should go. Before Nina or I accidentally do something stupid," Eddie was already making his way back to the stairs as he spoke. I would have followed him, but Robert grabbed my arm.

"Why don't you all head up. I just want to show Nina something quick." Eddie flashed the man a apprehensive look, but Robert swore he'd protect me.

Once everyone else was gone, a worried Fabian last to go, I turned to see Robert kneeling in the corner behind a pile of artifacts. Pulling closer to him I saw a ring with silver figure that looked a bit like an angel. "It's called the knot of Isis. Isis is the goddess of marriage and relationships. Last time I was down here I stole a necklace with this on it and gave it to Louisa." The old man pulled the same necklace from his coat pocket and looked at it fondly. "These weren't meant for just anyone though. I think you should give this ring to Fabian and I'll give the necklace to Eddie to give to Patricia. If there is one thing that is more dangerous to be than the Osirian or Chosen One it's being the one they love most in the world."

"Thank you," I whispered to the man taking the ring into my hand. Whether or not the power of Isis would protect Fabian from the dark lady of my dreams or any other danger that found me, I didn't know. Still I had my own use for the ring.

Back up in the main tomb I found Fabian waiting for me. Robert pulled Eddie aside, probably to give him the necklace. I, myself turned to Fabian.

"You told me you loved me." Fabian began to blush as I reminded him of the words he'd uttered when we were first re-united. "I couldn't get the words out myself, but I feel the same way about you. Every minute away hurt and I hope that when we get older we'll still feel this way and get married. I know things are complicated with Eddie and my relationship, but I want you to just know that there is nothing there. He's my friend, my protector, my Osirian, but he's not my Fabian."

"Nina," Fabian interrupted. "I'm not jealous of you and Eddie."

"I know," I whispered to the boy who was starting to look more like a man. "Frobisher gave me this ring and told me it belongs to the one the Chosen One loves most. It's… it's the knot of Isis, goddess of marriage. Consider it my promise to you that no matter what I won't leave again."

Fabian's only reply was pulling me into a passionate kiss that got so heated my back almost destroyed ancient murals as he pressed me against the wall. Neither of us cared though. In that moment nothing mattered it was just me and Fabian. Forever.


	19. Chapter 19 House of Senkarah

I know you all hate me without even reading this chapter from the name and trust me it gets and ViolinRocker12…. Well just read and you'll understand how brilliant you are :)

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Chapter 19

House of Senkarah

"Well you've had your fun and now it's time to get down to business," Dr. Blue told us when we emerged from the tomb.

"Are those… camels?" Patricia asked looking at the creatures that had appeared outside the ancient grave sometime between when we went in and when we came out. "Why are there camels here?"  
"I rented them," Dr. Blue told us as if that was a completely normal thing to do. "Come on, two to a camel. They're the best travel where we're going."

Dr. Blue slid on the camel like he'd done it a million times before (maybe he has) and watched expectantly for us to follow. Shaking his head at the madness Eddie was the first one to slid between the humps and help Patricia on behind him. (I got on and helped Fabian on. I think that says something about our relationships, doesn't it?)

The camel ride through the uninhabitable desert was horrid. Sweat poured down my face and when we finally arrived hours later the destination was just more desert exactly like the miles we'd already passed through.

"If we're just stopping in the middle of the desert why couldn't we stop in the desert three hours ago?" Patricia complained.

"I let you come along out of the goodness of my heart, but now it's time for you and Rutter to stand back and get out of my way. I won't let this go wrong." Dr. Blue had acted kind before, but any trace of his cordial nature disappeared as we got down to business. "Nina. Eddie. Stand over there."

Neither Eddie nor I were dumb enough to consider asking questions. Doing as we were told Eddie and I moved simultaneously to the west of Dr. Blue. The man then pulled out of blood and drew a sigil with it. Once he was done Dr. Blue spoke firmly. "Now place your hands over the blood and repeat after me."

"Nina. I have a bad feeling about this," Eddie whispered as we headed over to Dr. Blue and his sigil. "A bad Osirian feeling."

"We don't have any options here," I whispered back. "We don't do this you die. Whatever happens can't be worse than that."

Eddie didn't fight with me, but as we mindlessly repeated Dr. Blue's ancient chant both of us had not just a rock in our stomachs, but a boulder.

As the final words left our mouths a fire burst out in the middle of the sigil before dying down quickly. Looking closely I realized it wasn't a blood sigil but a map and the fire had marked a spot.

"Fantastic!" Dr. Blue cried. "Come back on the camels that's only a little bit away from here."

Everyone hoped back on the camels and as we moved across the desert Fabian spoke to me, "You okay."

"I'm fine." It was true. I felt perfectly fine, and that worried me. "I'm honestly fine."

Fabian was saved from reply by the looming structure that could barely be seen beneath the sand. Jumping from the camel's back Dr. Blue brushed the same away quickly. "This is it. I've found it. The tomb of the forgotten ruler!"

The mysterious bag Dr. Blue had been carrying turned out to be filled with shovels and we quickly cleared away the sand. "Shouldn't we like get someone though. To document the breaking of the seals and help contain everything?"

"The seals don't need to be broken if Eddie and Nina go in," Dr. Blue said with a smile. "As far as the tomb is concerned they're Anubis and Osiris and can walk right inside."

"We can't walk through walls," Eddie told the mad man. "We can do a lot of things but we can't do that."

"Of course not," Dr. Blue said with a laugh. (I was starting to worry if he was bi-polar.) "I didn't mean that. We all go in, you two just open the door by pressing your hands on it. It will work, trust me."

Dr. Blue had yet to be wrong so Eddie and I approached the door ready to open it when Fabian spoke again. "But why do you want to go in without anyone knowing? What's the point?"

"Because," Dr. Blue began like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I want to know the ruler's name and something about her before I announce I've found it. That way it looks like I knew what I was doing and didn't just stumble upon it."

Dr. Blue's reasons seemed valid enough. Even if they weren't we had few choices with Eddie's life at stake. Pressing our hands against the tomb doors we found the rock no longer solid. "It should last for about 24 hours if the myth is right. Anything can walk right through," Dr. Blue sounded amazed and I didn't blame him. All this time Eddie and I'd had left so many powers untapped. Despite the catalyzing reasons for this trip I'd learned enough to consider it worthwhile.

And as we stepped into the tomb I learned much, much, more.

"It's beautiful," Patricia remarked as we wandered into the first chamber. Tut's tomb had started to decay the minute the seal was broken, but down here the seal was completely intact and it looked almost exactly like it would have 3000 years ago when the ruler was buried.

Dr. Blue studied the hieroglyphs trying to decipher something about the ruler's life while Fabian, Eddie, Patricia, and I wandered the tomb corridors marveling at the artifacts only Fabian understood. Eventually we found the burial chamber, and while we couldn't read the hieroglyphics Fabian's knowledge and the beautiful pictures told enough.

The ruler had been born during the rule of Tut's father when Ra was not to be worshiped. He'd gotten power late in life ruling for only a few years before his death. "It's talking about regret," Fabian told me studying the letters. "The ruler had a daughter named Anet who was married to a man in love with another women. Anet killed her husband's love after his death and in accordance to the law the ruler had his own daughter killed for murder."

"That's harsh," Patricia muttered. "Not dad of the year then."

"Wait a minute… Nina. Come here it's a drawing of the ruler and his daughter," I went over to the picture and almost fainted in terror.

"That's not a his… that's… that's…"

"I know the ruler's name!" Dr. Blue told us running. "And who would believe it was a women! She's named Senkarah."

Eddie and Fabian both moved so close to me I was unable to move an inch. "You mean that… that's…" I didn't blame Patricia for her inability to get the words out. Even I had a hard time believing the coincidence.

"That's the mummified body of the women who wanted to ride me to the afterlife," I whispered.

"We're going," Eddie told us and despite Dr. Blue's protests Eddie dragged me away faster than my legs could move. Once we were safely outside I fell to the ground in despair. "I know it's bad memories, but she was evil and her soul would have been devoured by Ammut. Senkarah isn't coming back," Eddie was doing his best to comfort me, but the words fell so short them plummeted into the Grand Canyon.

"That's not it," I whispered to Eddie alone. "Don't you see? Anet was married to Asim and the women Asim loved was Amneritis. Senkarah's daughter killed the first Chosen One and and…"

"What?" Eddie asked. "What is it Nina I need you to tell me."

"I understand my dreams now. I know why she's coming after us. The dark lady in my dreams is Anet, Senkarah's estranged daughter, and the wife of Asim. She hates us both and she's back. I don't know how, but she's back."

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So yes, there was a point to this whole trip to Egypt. What do you think? As for ViolinRocker12 she guessed who the dark lady was (or that she was Senkarah's daughter) way, way back. I literally sent water everywhere reading her comment because I think she meant it as a joke guess... but yeah she was right.


	20. Chapter 20 House of Night

Sorry for leaving you with such a cliff hanger… I had to re-read "Serpent's Shadow" for a Percy Jackson-Kane Chronicles fic. If you like them you should check it out (it's called 'The First Commandment") if you haven't read then you should… they're a lot like HOA

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Chapter 20

House of Night

I'd been dreaming of Anet for days now, but knowing who she was made it much, much worse. Not even Patricia (who was wearing her Knot of Isis proudly) objected to Eddie sitting next to me on the ride home. I was exhausted, but my nightmare-plagued dreams were anything but refreshing. Just Eddie's touch as I slept worked as an anchor. The dream still played like a broken record, but I felt more rested as if Anet couldn't get to me with Eddie around.

In all actuality, she probably couldn't. That's why she always killed Eddie first.

It was well past midnight Liverpool time when we got back to school and everyone else was exhausted and crashed immediately. Afraid to tempt sleep without Eddie by my side as a nightmare- buffer I sat researching everything I could find on Amnertis, Anet, Asim, and Senkarah. There was little to be found, but pictures of the newly discovered Senkarah's tomb were already making their way onto the internet. Maybe, just maybe, there was something of use hidden in the ancient writing. Come morning Fabian could start translating and the rest of Sibuna could find that ankh piece. We needed the ankh now more than ever. Anet was coming after us and the ring only added extra vulnerability we didn't need.

_Your visions always come true and in your vision Eddie died._ That voice in the back of my mind reminded.

_I didn't fall into the chasm and die. They don't always come true like I expect. No one has to die. We've won before. _

Theoretically Anet would be no harder to beat than her mother, but something told me this vengeful spirit was much worse than the last. Anet killed Amnertis, but not before the line could be passed on in her daughter. Asim should have loved his wife, but instead he cursed his family for the dead Pharaoh's mistress.

"Ah but if you'd seen her you would give up everything too."

Okay this time I knew the voice wasn't in my head and turned to find a ghost floating in my room. Neither Patricia nor Amber awoke and unlike with Senkarah I knew this ghost wasn't evil. Or maybe he was, but he wouldn't hurt me. "Asim I presume? Reason for all this trouble?"

"I'm in no way responsible for your trouble," the ancient ghost said with a hearty laugh. "But I think all the trouble stems from the heart. Ams loved Tut, I loved Ams, Anet loved me."

"How are you even here?" I'd met ghosts of Senkarah and Victor Sr., but I still didn't understand their workings very well. "I mean you're dead so why are you snooping in my room?"

"Osiris likes me," Asim told with a shrug. "Or at least he finds me amusing. I've only ever met each of the first 2 Chosen Ones, but each one in turn I've begged to meet and help. My decedents can do a lot, but they're related to me so they must be mostly useless."

"And Osiris let you come now? What changed?" Why had the death god kept Asim away for 3000 years and now let him come and pay me a visit.

"My wife. My son, Amneret, did his job as Osirian and protected Tutska, Amnertis's daughter, from Anet after my death by marrying her and moving in with the Jewish people." At least that explained why Eddie and I didn't look remotely Egyptian- our ancestors left Egypt a long, long time ago with the Israelites. "Amneret had one purpose though and it was not to protect Amneritis. He saved Tuska, but my wife's wrath struck my true love down as soon as I could no longer protect her. Then, because of the curse of Anubis, I couldn't even find her in the Afterlife for millennium." To be honest I could care little about Asim's story, but he wanted to tell someone about how much he missed his love. "But you broke the curse," Asim smile at me brightly like I had just won him the sun. "And now we are together."

"Then why are you here?" I asked the man honestly curious. Why come to me if he could go to Amneritis?

"I am here to warn you. The ring your Osirian wears is not foolproof. While he wears it your connection is stronger than ever, but he doesn't just feel you anymore. When you touched, Eddie died. Now he survives on your life energy. It's why you feel so sick and weak- your life is supporting two."

"Well that's okay," I lied to both the ghost and myself. "Because we're going to get the ankh and unbind us."

Asim literally hissed at my mention of the ankh. "Whatever you do Nina you must not assemble the ankh! Anet will use the power to destroy the world in an attempt to kill you."

"But you just said I'm sustaining Eddie? How long can by body survive like this?"

"Not long," Asim whispered and for a second my life energy could be seen swirling around my body. Last time this happened in New York it had been a vibrant red, but now was a faint pink. "You're dying and your Osirian dies with you."

"Then we have to find the ankh," I told him sadly. "Because Eddie can't die."

"There was a time when I put my Chosen One in front of generations of kin. And I'd do it again to help her," I'd blamed Asim for this mess originally, but it seemed love was to blame in the end. "There are three people left on this planet with my love's blood and you must safeguard yourself so I don't see her vanish forever. But you have to understand I'd rather never see Amnertis again than have Anet get her hands on the ankh. If there is another way find it, but if not let yourself die or the world will come down with you."

As the ancient ghost fled I knew his words would be left unheeded. I needed Eddie to live and to live his life; no matter what we needed to find the ankh.

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sorry if this makes no sense. I can't even keep my eyes open as I type this note.


	21. Chapter 21 House of First

Don't forget to review with thoughts, theories, randomness. I love hearing from you guys!

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Chapter 21

House of First

I didn't tell anyone about Asim's ghostly visit. If I mentioned to Sibuna the truth about the ankh they might just put the world first and not help me assemble the artifact. If it was just my life at risk I would never even try, but it was my fault Eddie was in this mess. I wouldn't let my stupidity in coming back to Anubis house result in Eddie's death. I wouldn't.

"You know I'm really sick of going to classes when we should be saving your life," Eddie told me as we departed from English class. Panic immediately flared within me as I wondered how Eddie knew about Asim's words. "I can see your life energy Nina. Have been able to since I put on the ring." So Eddie didn't know. Good. "I know supporting me is killing you. If I was a half-good Osirian I would pull this ring from my finger and die before I get us both killed."

"Don't you dare Eddie. I need you to help me and even more importantly Patricia needs you. Don't you dare let yourself d…. take off that ring." I couldn't get the word out the idea was so horrible. If Eddie died because of me...

"Don't worry Nina," Eddie whispered to me as we met up with the rest of Sibuna for our lunchtime trip to the crypt. "Not even being the Osirian overpowers the natural, human will to live. You're stuck with me draining the life from you with each breath."

"Then just expand your lungs and breathe less," I joked half-heartedly. I hated the idea of Eddie knowing how much this connection was hurting me, but I hated the idea of him considering suicide to save me even more. My life isn't worth it if it comes at Eddie's expense. he had a whole family and girlfriend to live for. I just had Fabian who, with my friends help, would get past it.

I'd never been into the Crypt before that day, but I found the place remarkably creepy. "So here is my question. How are we supposed to get under this thing?" Alfie wondered and I couldn't help but agree. There were seven Sibuna members, but not even the seven of us working together could more this giant coffin/

"They're big on trap doors in this family right," Amber pointed out. "Look around."

With Amber's remarkable tip we began our search leading KT to quickly spot something on the base of the coffin. "Hey, Eddie, do you think your ring would fit in here?"

Eddie moved closer and as I followed him, I saw the tiny little hole just big enough for Eddie's ankh Osirian ring. Louisa Frobisher only ever wished for the Osirian to find the ankh pieces so it made sense she's fit them to the ring. The only time the pieces would ever be needed was if the Osirian wore the ring.

Go Louisa.

Gently pressing the ring against the stone (so not to accidentally pull it off his finger) Eddie caused the coffin to slide itself out of the way revealing a hidden staircase. "Seriously. How many secret passages are on this property?" Patricia wondered as we descended into the new room and I couldn't help but agree with her. It seemed this school just got more and more complicated the longer you spent here. The Frobisher-Smyth's had a real obsession with hidden doors.

Eddie and I led the charge into the dark, new room and looked around using our phones as flashlights. A orange tapestry hung on the wall and when I went over it I knew where we were. "We're behind the other tunnels. I can see the Senet board through here." I told the others.

"But where's the ankh piece?" Fabian asked scanning the small-ish room. "It doesn't look like there are any more doors or anything, but there is nothing here.

"Wait a minute," Patricia called from the other end of the stone room. "There is a thing right here that looks sealed like Senkarah's tomb. Do you think you two can do the same thing as before and stick your hand right through?"

"We can try," Eddie suggested with a shrug. "Worse that can happen is it doesn't work." I knew that wasn't remotely true. Worst that could happen probably was us all dying. Still, Patricia was right. The stone was sealed and maybe we could get through it.

Eddie looked almost ready to give up when I felt the solid stone give way and my hand pass right through it. I couldn't see (and didn't want to risk putting my face through), but from what I felt it was a small crevice similar to the one I had hid the ankh cup inside in the attic.

"You feel anything?" Eddie asked me and I found it worry some that he couldn't get his hand through too.

I was about to pull out and say it was empty when my hand brushed against a hot piece of silver. Grabbing the ankh piece I pulled it out and studied it. I'd expected something huge, but the half-oval looked only the size of a baseball so the completed ankh couldn't be too big.

"We found it," Eddie whispered relieved. "Is there any clue as to the next one?" I went to shake my head no when writing appeared on the sealed door.

** One down four more to go**

** Great floods of long ago will show**

** In the happy child's dreams **

** Forever dependent on Ra's fickle beams. **

"Great. Another riddle," Amber muttered annoyed. "I'm really sick of riddles. Can't anyone just say where the next piece is? Obviously it was the Chosen One who took this piece because only Nina could do it. It's not like the Chosen One could be evil."

"That's not true," KT reminded. "I mean the Osirian before Eddie went evil right? Louisa is just trying to be careful, that's all."

"Well I hate it," Amber moaned and everyone else in Sibuna agreed. Why couldn't things just be easy for once? Eddie wore the ring so he didn't die, but by wearing the ring both of us would die. All we needed was to find a simple artifact split into 5 pieces, but to do that we'd have to decode riddle after riddle. It just wasn't fair.

"Fairness isn't getting what you want, but getting what you need," my Gran told me when I said her dying wasn't fair. "And the only way you get what you need is if you earn it."

Apparently she hadn't earned the right to live, but I would. Eddie and I wouldn't die because we'd figure out what these clues meant. We would win.


	22. Chapter 22 House of Anet

Don't forget to review with thought and theories... who knows what might be right.

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Chapter 22

House of Anet

"One down four more to go," Fabian began decoding later that day at an attic Sibuna meeting.

"Well that's obvious, there must be four more ankh pieces," KT deciphered quickly. "I can't think of what else it could mean." Shrugging I agreed with the girl, that did seem to be the logical explanation.

"Great floods of long ago will show," Is that like talking of Noah's ark maybe? That was a flood right?" Amber pondered and I couldn't help but notice how awkward the girl had been all night as she tried to avoid Alfie's gaze. Something had happened between the two of them while I was in Egypt and as Amber's best friend it was my job to help her fix the problem. _Like I didn't have enough problems to solve already. _

"But that flood didn't actually happen. I mean the world didn't flood and a man didn't build an arch. The lions would have eaten the bunnies," Alfie reminded us and I smiled at the thought of an ancient Noah trying to keep all the animals from killing each other.

"In a happy child's dreams. That must mean Sarah," I told the others firmly. Louisa only knew three children at this time: Sarah, Victor, and Rufus and something told me neither of the latter was ever a happy child.

"Forever dependent of Ra's fickle beams," Fabian finished. "Well Ra is the sun god correct, so wherever this is sun must be needed. Where on campus does someone or something need sun to survive?"

"The greenhouse!" Patricia recalled. I'd never been in the building, but I knew where it was and the guess was as good as any.

"Plants do need sun to survive," Eddie reminded then and I heard him humming something that sounded remarkably like the photosynthesis rap I'd been forced to memorize in freshman biology.

"But what flood?" Fabian rhetorically asked. "Floods kill plants so why would the greenhouse have flooded?"

"Maybe we have to flood the greenhouse to find the piece," Amber suggested. "Poor plants." I didn't see how flooding the place would do any good, and Eddie pointed out the main problem with Amber's plan.

"Victor is kind of just letting us do our thing because he knows his lack of ability to tell the difference between a kitten and a goddess resulted in the problem. Still, I don't think he'd let us go as far as flooding the greenhouse and not expect punishment. We can try it, but let's make that plan Z."

"So tomorrow we should search the place for any sign of the ankh and then go from there," I suggested of my friends. I saw a flurry of bobbing heads and then we broke apart and snuck back down to our rooms.

"You don't think it is odd that Victor seems to purposely be trying to not catch us breaking the rules, though?" Patricia asked later that night as we prepared to actually go to bed.

"Nins is right though. It is his fault we're in this mess," Amber pointed out while placing cucumbers on her eyes. "He might be evil, but he knows he can't stop us anyway. So why try?"

Amber's words rung true, but I still couldn't help but wonder just how far Victor would let us go before getting involved. He knew more about this school then all of Sibuna combined, but he never offered any help. He was offering us space, but why? Why would he turn a blind eye to everything? Why was he not trying to learn what we were up to so he could use it to his advantage?

Or did he already know what we were looking for? Victor would know the ankh had to be drunk from the cup and if we were looking for the ankh that meant the cup really wasn't destroyed. Was Victor really past the 'I want to live forever' or had his original words to me been the truth? It didn't seem right for Victor to be hands off… that's just not him. So, what was he really up to?

Like every other night since I returned to school I saw Anet. Unfortunately, however, I was still awake when the ghost appeared before me. The girl looked exactly as she did in both her portraits and my dreams. Darkness radiated from her like sunbeams from the sun and just her non-corporal presence sent me shivering with fear.

Just as I expected (and she'd obviously planned) Eddie appeared at my door within the minute having felt my terror like a knife. The sound of Eddie's voice woke Patricia and Amber up, but with one wave of Anet's hand they were out cold.

"What did you do to them?" Eddie growled making his way to Patricia's side. I did the same with Amber and was relieved to find an even pulse. She was just sleeping.

"Relax," the woman told us with a malicious smile. "They're just sleeping. Unlike my mother I don't punish the innocent for the misdeeds of the guilty."

"Isn't that exactly what you're doing?" Eddie reminded the ghost stepping closer to it. "You're punishing Nina and me for something our ancestors did over 3000 years ago!"

"YOU ARE NOT INNOCENT!" Anet bellowed with the force of a typhoon. "You are the Paragon and the Osirian! You banished my mother to the Afterlife where her soul was devoured by Ammut! You opened her tomb to be desecrated!"

"She had you killed for murder," I reminded the mad ghost. "What loyalty do you feel for her?"

"She was right to kill me!" Anet replied with a grin and a laugh. "I'm a murderer. I killed Amnertis and I would have killed Tutska too if I'd had the chance. I even killed my own husband drugging him with the meal BECAUSE HE NEVER LOVED ME! I DESERVE TO BE LOVED AND YOU DESERVE TO DIE!" Eddie and I had survived Anet's mother, but this new spirit would be much worse. Senkarah wanted power, status. Anet was completely mad and only cared about revenge. Switching gears completely, Anet dawned a face of calm and spoke to Eddie. "I am here to give you a warning. You are my kin and the living reminder of how my husband loved Her over Me. I will see you dead! But she," Anet turned and grinned at me. "She I want to live. I want the Chosen One to live without an Osirian to protect her. I want her to slowly decay from grief, guilt, and power until she takes her own life out of despair. That is how Amnertis's legacy should end.

I offer you a choice, Osirian. Continue your foolhardy quest to find the ankh and break your curse, but the Paragon's dream will come true and I shall win. Or be the hero my husband always pretended he was. Sacrifice yourself and I'll sit back watching the Chosen One's suffering until she ends it and it all. Comes. Down."

I blinked and suddenly found the space between Eddie and I now empty- Anet was gone, but her words rung in my ears.

"Go to sleep Nina," Eddie finally told me pulling up a chair by my side. "We can't figure this out exhausted and I've already gotten a few hours."

Settling into a deep, needed, slumber no dreams of Anet came. The ghost had no need to terrorize me at night; come light the truth would be horrible enough.


	23. Chapter 23 House of STOP!

Warning: Chapter contains mature content. It's not smutty, but it's hard stuff. Reader discretion is advised.

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Chapter 23

House of STOP!

Eddie's chair sat empty when my eyes fluttered open the next morning and I found that to be somewhat relieving. _At least now I wouldn't have to deal with an angry Patricia on top of everything else. _Still, I needed to find Eddie sometime before lunch when Sibuna was to search the greenhouse; we needed to talk about what Anet said. No one besides the two of us knew about the ghost and until I spoke with Eddie… I wouldn't even tell Fabian.

When Eddie didn't turn up to history I began to get worried, but Miss Blufish told me that she'd gotten a call from Mr. Sweet. Eddie was only in his father's office apologizing to his mom before Ms. Miller returned to the states.

Miss Blufish's words kept me sated until lunch when Sibuna was supposed to meet in the common room and Patricia showed up late, "Have you seen Eddie?"

"He was in his dad's office… something about apologizing to Miss Miller," I told my friend.

Panic rose inside me as I saw Patricia's face, "I had to go too. That was hours ago. He said he was going to find you. You mean you… you haven't seen him?"

"Shit!" I told the girl pacing back and forth quickly. No. Eddie wouldn't do something stupid. He said only yesterday that he wouldn't do something stupid. Eddie would never consider taking Anet's offer. He would never… kill himself. " think I know where he is," I cried over my shoulder feet already running. Multiple teachers yelled at Patricia and me to stop, but both of us knew something was very wrong and detention was a small price to pay for finding Eddie now.

Just as I expected the Frobisher Library door was locked and the windows covered with bookshelves. Eddie had barricaded himself inside. "Eddie!" I cried through the door. "Stop whatever you're doing!"

"Nina! What is going on?" Patricia asked frantically. "Why has Eddie locked himself inside? Eddie! Let us in!"

"Last night… Anet told Eddie that if he died she'd leave us alone… my visions wouldn't come true…"

"Your visions? I thought you didn't remember your nightmares!"

Patricia deserved to know the truth, but now really wasn't the time to explain it. "Eddie! Please open the door!" I pleaded of the Osirian. Please if there were gods all around somebody help us!

"You'll die!" Eddie finally answered through the door. Just hearing his voice relieved some of the fear- he hadn't done anything irreversible yet. "Both of you will die if I don't do this. She was right Nina. If I'm dead there is no use in finding the ankh. If you don't assemble it then she can't win. She needs the power to win. I saw your visions," Eddie confessed and I heard the sobs he was holding in. "I've seen myself get killed by her over and over. I saw her kill you. I saw Patricia being drowned in a river of blood. I can stop that. I can save everybody. All I have to do is take this ring off."

"Edison Sweet don't you dare!" Patricia blubbered through the door. "Don't you dare take off that ring! If you die I'll kill you. I need you Eddie! I NEED YOU!"

"You'll be fine," I heard him whisper in reply. "You'll move on. Find someone else. Grow married and grow old. You won't even remember little old Eddie Miller."

"Don't you dare say that!" Patricia pounded against the door. "I could never forget you. I could never move on. I love you!"

"You'll be alive though. You'll all live," Eddie said trying to rationalize his insane behavior.

"What's the point in living if I'm living without you? You gave me this necklace and said that it was a promise of you never putting this Osirian thing ahead of me. You promised! Now here you are a day later ready to die and leave me alone!"

"I'm not doing it for Nina!" Eddie cried pounding on the wood. "You have to understand Trixie I'm doing this for you! If I live you're going to die and I'm going to die anyway! If I die now…you'll live."

"But I won't," Patricia repeated so softly I wondered if Eddie could hear it through the door. "I won't live. I'll breathe and walk and talk because you'd want me to carry on, but I won't live. There is one thing I've learned in the past 2 years. One thing that will stick with my once all the lessons are over and all the uniforms thrown out. I learned that there is only one life worth living and if you want that life you have to fight for it. This is me fighting for it Eddie! We will fight Anet and we will win. Neither of us, none of us, will die at that bitch's hands because we will find a way. We'll assemble the cup, fight Anet, finish high school, and be okay because that's what we do. We're Sibuna and we always win because we never stop fighting. Please Eddie. Fight with me."

Silence stretched out for what seemed to be days before a red-faced, tear stricken, Eddie appeared at the door. Patricia pulled him into a tight relieved hug and I breathed for the first time since I discovered Eddie missing.

"Don't ever try something that stupid again or I will kill you myself," Patricia told the American boy with a hard slap. With a stinging face my Osirian turned to me and I just shook my head and walked off towards the greenhouse where the others already had begun their search.

Eddie and Patricia arrived a few minutes after me both looking calm and happy. Still, fear gripped me. Patricia managed to talk Eddie off the edge and I doubted he'd consider suicide again. That didn't mean however that we were out of the woods. Anet still wanted us all dead and my visions showed all of Sibuna dying. If Eddie was to have a life we needed to find this ankh, but what would be the cost? Were we really dooming the earth for the sake of Eddie and my lives being easy? Did that not make us more evil than Anet?

Not that it matters. I was getting Eddie off of this ring and if that meant dooming the world I would. All of Sibuna had a life worth living and I'd be dammed if it meant I could guarantee that for them.

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Sorry for that, but I think there might just be a good lesson in there. If something is important enough that you need it it's important enough for you to fight for it.

On a brighter note I have something very special planned for the Peddie shippers in the next chapter or 2... and since I'm skipping church to write about Egyptian gods (If my school knew they'd kill me) you'll definitely get that fun within the next couple hours!


	24. Chapter 24 House of Favors

If you ship Peddie and you know it you'll want to marry me. If you ship Peddie and you know it,If you ship Peddie and you know it,If you ship Peddie and you know it you'll want to marry me.

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Chapter 24

House of Favors

Of course the search of the greenhouse turned out to be a dud. "I feel like it's here, but hidden and we're not going to find it until we know what the flood is," an exhausted Fabian told me as we made our way back to the school.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out," I told Fabian sliding my hand into his. After the whole thing with Eddie I needed the physical reminder that Fabian was here and not going anywhere. None of us were going anywhere.

"Nina," Eddie called catching up to me right before I slid into English class. "Can I ask a favor of you?"

"Don't worry. I wasn't planning on telling anyone about… earlier," I told him with hushed voices. It wasn't even for Eddie that I wanted to keep it a secret; the rest of Sibuna would only be worried by the knowledge.

"It's not that," Eddie told me lowering his voice to such a soft whisper I could barely understand him when he said, "I need to go to the mall."

"Why do you need to go to the mall," I asked and Eddie hushed me. "And why do I have to talk quietly about it?"

"It's… kind of a long story. But it's Friday and we could go after classes. I need Patricia distracted while Fabian comes with me. Do you think you could do that?"

Who would think it possible, but Eddie's words left me more clueless than any Frobisher riddle. Still, I felt like I owed the kid and nodded earnestly, "Sure. Sounds like fun. But to keep Patricia distracted you should make it like a big thing where we all go to the mall. Amber is probably the best person to keep Patricia busy."

Eddie smiled, clearly relived, "That's a good idea. I'll ask Trudy if we can go and then ask my dad if we can drive in the school van."

A few hours later all 9 Anubis house residents were sitting and laughing in the back of the school van. I'd offered to drive, but between Fabian saying I looked ready to pass out and Eddie confirming that I felt ready to pass out I'd been seated in the back while a nervous Eddie drove.

I didn't know why Eddie was so nervous and wished that our connection was a bit more two-way. He seemed to know every emotion I felt and the reason I felt it, but I really knew very little about my protector. I knew he'd changed a lot since discovering his secret identity, but besides that…. If I was an open book Eddie's book was locked in a vault hidden at the bottom of the sea.

"So are you two back together?" Joy asked of Amber and Alfie causing both to blush.

"We decided that our relationship doesn't work very well long-distance and come college we'd just have to split again. It's not worth the pain," Amber told us like it was a well rehearsed speech. I felt bad for Amber; Alfie was the only guy she ever really liked. She dated Mick, but really she dated him because she felt she should. Alfie was someone she really clicked with, but it turned out in the end that Amber liked him more than Alfie did (even though he tried forever to get her). Isn't love just funny like that?

"Plus I'm trying to work it out with Willow," Alfie confessed causing Amber to scowl (though Alfie didn't see). I didn't know Willow well, because of Sibuna I never had a chance to make friends from other houses; still, from what I heard her and Alfie were a good enough couple. They'd even had plans to go to university together before the split. It would be hard for Amber, but Alfie's my friend too. In the long run Willow was better for him.

At the mall Fabian and Eddie snuck off before Patricia could even notice. Jerome and Alfie decided they needed some 'friend' time (basically they wanted to go check out/ prank hot public school girls without Joy getting annoyed) so, Amber, Joy, Patricia, KT and I were left to have girl time.

And let me tell you I enjoyed it.

Since my Gran's death last August I hadn't really taken a breather. In new York I was always keeping an eye out for Eddie home on break and trying to find the ring. Then, back at Anubis house, I've been thrust into a life-or-death mystery, held hostage, blackmailed, dragged to Egypt, discovered my enemies tomb, and now be threatened by her daughter who might kill everyone I care about. Needless to say I wasn't having the best senior year.

But for that one shining moment I felt like a normal teenage girl back among her friends.

Soon enough all Anubis residents met back up and I noticed a slight bulge in Eddie's pocket. Tilting my head with confusion Fabian responded by just rolling his eyes and smiling.

Back at Anubis house my night only got better because Victor was out and Trudy said we could stay up late. Quickly enough a mini-Anubis party erupted that lasted until 1 when a very disgruntled Victor returned and broke it up. Fabian, Eddie, Patricia, and I were designated to clean up 'this ridiculous mess', but not even that broke my smile. Once everything was done I prepared to wait for Patricia, but Fabian grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the couple.

With a final encouraging glance from Fabian Eddie shut the door and I said goodnight to Fabian and walked upstairs. (As soon as the boy was gone I ran right back down and listened to the couple's conversation.) I wasn't trying to be nosy, but after earlier I needed for my sanity's sake to make sure Eddie wasn't trying to convince Patricia that she should let him die.

"What's this all about?" Patricia asked sounding highly confused. "Is this about earlier because yes, I'm mad that you'd consider leaving me, but no I'm not going to tell your dad."

"It is and isn't about earlier," Eddie began and through he key hole I could see him sitting down on the couch and gesturing for Patricia to sit down next to him. When she finally obliged Eddie started talking again. "I'm really sorry for earlier. I was trying so hard to protect you that I never thought about how my actions would hurt you. But it made me think. In our lives, nothing is certain. I'm literally dependent on a girl's presence to live. But to be honest I'm dependent on two girls to live.

I never expected to do this now. I always thought 'wait until you're older. You can go to university near each other and wait, but I made my choice earlier when I opened that door. I decided to fight, but I may also have condemned us to death. I can't stand the thought of dying without knowing that you Patricia Williamson are completely and irrevocably mine."

"Eddie? Where are you going with this?" Patricia asked an uncharacteristic sweetness lining her voice.

"Patricia," I saw Eddie slide onto the floor and pull a box from his pocket. "I know we're young and I know it's crazy. But if I die I want to know that you've made your promise to me even if we never make it to the altar. Yackers, will you marry me?"

Maybe we're all a bit young and crazy, but as Patricia whispered yes and pulled her fiancée into a heavy kiss I smiled. This is what we had to live for and if that meant us rushing thing then okay. We might not live for tomorrow, so we better make the best of today.

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DO NOT GET MARRIED RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL! THAT IS BEYOND A BIG NO NO! i THINK 20'S IS A GOOD TIME TO GET MARRIED! Okay is that clear? Don't ever try anything I write about in this book. Unless you or your partner is most likely going to end up dead don't get engaged in high school!


	25. Chapter 25 House of Isis

Can I just take a moment to say thank you all a ton? 851 VISITORS and 76 reviews… before this I thought 16 reviews was awesome...You are all absolutely fantastic and thank you.

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Chapter 25

House of Isis

My ecstasy of the great night ended when I pull into bed and realized I couldn't go to sleep. When I sleep I dream and when I dream Eddie has to sit by my bed. The kid just got engaged for Christ's sake; he needed a night off.

Pulling out my laptop from beneath the bed I started to do some research. **Great Floods of Past** I typed in first. Results came up, but nothing seemed relevant. I found lists of floods that happened throughout history, but had no idea how I was supposed to find the right flood.

_Well she was an Egyptologist wasn't she? Maybe it has to do with Egypt. _With that new thought in my head I revised my search, **Flooding Egypt.**

**Up until 1970 with the building of High Dam at Aswan the Nile would flood yearly. This flooding deposited fertile soil on the river banks that was very good for farming land. In Egyptian mythology the Nile flooded either because of Isis's tears for her husband Osiris or because of the god Hapi. **

"Um Nina, are you okay?" KT asked looking at my bright red eyes as i chugged down my double espresso coffee.

"Sure, I'm fine," I lied. In all actuality, my head was pounding, my hands shaking, and I felt ready to puke. I'd pulled all nighters before (what teen hasn't), but in the past week I'd probably gotten 24 hours of restful sleep tops (most of that being when I was drugged out on painkillers for my ribs), and even 24 hours was generous. Hopefully, my nightmare-ridden dream state was enough to keep my organs from shutting down, but it definitely wasn't enough for me to not feel like garbage.

"Well you don't look fine. Actually, you remind me of a zombie. You're not a zombie, right?" If I had a sense of humor I'd find it amusing that 18 year old Alfie still believed in zombies (then again a ghost is giving me insomnia and my great-great grandfather is alive in Egypt at over 130… maybe the zombie theory wasn't too far off).

"She didn't sleep," Eddie said popping the p in sleep and giving me an annoyed glare. From the looks of it he didn't feel like crap; maybe the connection only worked with physical pain. Good.

"What makes you say that?" I snapped back. If it was anyone else I'd figure my snappy nature and looks had something to do with it, but with Eddie… who knew what he knew about me.

"Because you didn't dream. You didn't spend the entire night writhing in terror so I know you didn't dream. And Anet wouldn't let you off that easily so obviously you just haven't gone to bed," Eddie snapped back clearly annoyed. It wasn't like I wanted to be exhausted. He just needed a good night sleep too and he can't sleep when he's sitting by my bed so I'm not being mentally tortured by a psychopathic ghost.

"You really need your beauty sleep Nina," Amber told me nodding her head. "But come on I have some powder that will make you rejoin the living- or at least look like you can."

"No time, and I really don't care," I told the girl. "Actually, I think I know why we couldn't find anything yesterday. I think the flooding in the clue was the annual Nile flooding which means we're looking for something related to Isis or Hapi."

"Who's Hapi?" Eddie asked clearly still annoyed by my self-harming sleep cycle.

"He's the god of the Nile. Usually depicted as a blue man with the breasts and belly of a pregnant woman… he's a fertility god so I guess they just made that connection," Fabian told us not even looking up at me. Great, now it seemed everyone was mad at me and I'd just been trying to be helpful and let Eddie sleep. "And anything relating to Isis will look like Patricia's necklace."

"Speaking of jewelry…" Amber pointed out causing Eddie and Patricia to blush. "Patricia I saw Eddie get you something. Let me see!"

"About that," Patricia began. I was too tired to notice before, but the ring Eddie bought yesterday was clearly not on her finger. I could understand why she wouldn't want to publicize the engagement. Anyone who didn't understand how fleeting Eddie and my lives could be wouldn't understand his rush to get married. "I haven't told my family yet, because they're going to kill me, but as my friends I expect you to understand."

"Patricia and I are getting married," Eddie spat out for his fiancée. "I asked her last night, that's why I wanted to go to the mall. We're going to wait until the summer of course but…"

Everyone was silent until Fabian smashed the window of awkward, "Well I already knew, helped pick out the ring, but congratulations. Why wait when you'll just end up there anyway. You two are perfect for each other."

Now that Fabian reminded us how to respond a chorus of congrats rang out for the happy, but scared couple. They were young, but they could make it work.

"So," Amber asked beaming. "Where's the ring?" Smiling Patricia pulled out the box I'd seen yesterday and revealed a stunning ring. It was simple, Eddie's 18 and without a job, but it was beautiful. A simple silver band and diamond the ring couldn't have cost much, but from Patricia's beaming face that doesn't matter. It was just a promise that Eddie was hers forever.

"I'm thinking of wearing it on a different finger," Patricia confessed sliding it on to her index finger. "That way I don't have to answer too many questions."

"We still have to tell my dad though," Eddie groaned. "And he might just murder us over it."

"I'm sure it will be fine," KT encouraged. "Like Fabian said you two were always going to end up together. If I believe in destiny I believe this was written into yours."

Eddie and Patricia smiled sliding their hands into a tight embrace. Later we could go and search for an ankh piece so the couple could live their life, but for now we'd just sit here and let them enjoy the idea of what would come.

That is i_f Anet doesn't get to them first. _


	26. Chapter 26 House of Hapi

I know this chapter is beyond short and I hate to post it, but I have to go to the dentist and want your theories as to what the new clue means. Enjoy!

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Chapter 26

House of Hapi

"So we're looking for either a pregnant man or Patricia's necklace, right?" Amber clarified after classes when we returned to scour out the greenhouse later that night. The early sunsets of winter in Liverpool made it so the 'rays of Ra' barely made it into the greenhouse and I hoped that whatever was hidden didn't need the sun to be opened. Though if it did I wouldn't be surprised that would be just my luck.

"Or the Nile. It might not have anything to do with the mythology behind it," I directed my friends as we began our search. Pots were lifted flowers searched through, but nothing could be found.

"It's not here!" A frustrated Eddie finally cried after 2 hours. "Whatever we're looking for isn't here."

"But it has to be!" I growled back. We needed to find this ankh free Eddie from his curse, and be done with this Anet business so I could sleep. I just wanted a normal life! Was that really too much to ask for? I want a life where people aren't so scared of death that they get engaged in high school. I want a life where I can go out on a date with my lovely boyfriend and not have to make it a double date with my Osirian. I just want some normalcy. I just want to not be the Chosen One! "There is no other place I can think of!"

"Nins, she did hide the clue like 100 years ago. Maybe whatever it is got moved," Amber told me.

"Amber you're a genius!" Fabain yelled breaking me from my thoughts and dashing towards the other side of the greenhouse. Shrugging the rest of Sibuna followed quickly behind and arrived to Fabian checking the tags on all the long-dead plant boxes that no one saw fit to replace. "These flowers would all have been blue. And if you look at the boxes from above…" Fabian hopped on the creaking table and smiled. "Hapi."

Clambering up next to Fabian I saw what he saw. The uncleared, but withered petals mangled the image, but with a bit of imagination… "Sarah's garden had a picture of the fertility god in it."

"But we checked under the boxes. Where is the piece?" Alfie wondered aloud. Biting my lip I too was stumped, but once again my brilliant Fabian came to the rescue.

"We checked under each individual box, but if you move them all…." At Fabians words the pots were torn from their rightful place and an image of the god Hapi appeared carved into the stone the flowers once rested upon. "Someone have any water?"

KT caught sight of the hose in the corner and grabbed it. "If I'm right…" Fabian placed the water at the head of the image and it slowly spread down the cracks. Right as the two streams of water met in the middle a stone pedestal rose up with an ankh piece and note attacked.

Eddie grabbed the piece while I grabbed the note.

**I say many they say one**

**Some call him the son**

**He came to save us from sin**

**Hanging on the wall of the pin**

** "**If I ever have some weird artifact to hide please, please kill me before I start trying to write riddles," Eddie groaned as we looked at Louisa's message.

I wanted to scream as I looked at the infuriating clue. This was just getting better and better.


	27. Chapter 27 House of Piper

And for those of you asking for still more Peddie… I made them get engaged for Christ's sake what more do you want? :) You know I love you guys.

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Chapter 27

House of Piper

"So how did your family react?" I asked Eddie as we made our way back to the library ankh piece and clue respectively in our hands. Not even the other Sibuna members, not even Fabian and Patricia, knew that Eddie and I were hiding the found ankh pieces in the tunnels where the mask once lie. Personally, I found it ironic. The mask activated Eddie as the Osirian and the ankh was the end result of that activation. Maybe that's why Eddie suggested it, or maybe because that was the safest place in this house. You had to have the key to open the case and only Eddie had the key. Eddie would never give it up and never be fooled.

Eddie rolled his eyes and spoke annoyed, "Well I haven't told my mom, but considering just how well Patricia and her get along I'm sure she'll be thrilled." Sarcasm filled the boys voice and as much as he pretended not to care I didn't need a freaky Osirian connection to know Eddie was scared. I didn't think he was having doubts about the engagement, but he clearly hated the retaliation he would be getting over it. "I told my dad before school this morning… he didn't actually respond just sat there staring in shock. He'll support us though, or I hope he will."

"And it's not like Patricia is pregnant," I tried to comfort. "If you do have it in July you'll already be 19, she's 18. Are you young, yes, but you're not throwing your lives away. You're just making a promise."

Eddie looked relieved that I didn't see it as him throwing everything away, "I think you're really the first one honestly happy for me. Everyone else is just pretending."

I wasn't going to fight him on that. Joy was once Patricia's best friend and I heard her whispering that Patricia had to be knocked up for them to do this. "They'll get past it. Right now they're just shocked. Come the summer you'll have everyone behind you like I am now."

"You really think we'll live to the wedding?" Eddie whispered. That was his real fear. Let people judge. Let people talk. All Eddie worried about was not making it to the altar with the women he loved. "I've seen your visions I saw myself die, I saw Patricia and the others swept down the river. What if Anet is right? I only asked because I wanted it official to me even if we don't make it official on paper."

"No one will doubt you two even if you don't live," I promised the worried teen, "But you will. My visions have been wrong before. Fabian saved me we can beat Anet and all be there come summer."

"Do you think we should hide this piece somewhere else? That way if someone was to find one they wouldn't find both?" I asked looking at the two halves of the circle top to the ankh. Eddie pondered my suggestion for a second before shaking his head no.

"There is nowhere else with a single key that I happen to have. Anywhere else someone could grab it. Anet isn't corporal, she can't touch, but Senkarah got people working for her what is to stop her daughter from doing the same."

"It makes sense that Senkarah's spirit was attached to the cup," I realized as we made our way back to the house (middle of the day meant no kitchen entrance so we'd gone in through the library passage). "I mean she took over as pharaoh sometime after Tut, which probably angered someone who cursed her to be attached to the ankh."

"How do you think Anet got out?" Eddie wondered and I shrugged.

"I mean we didn't actually see her until we opened Senkarah's tomb so she was probably in there or something. Doesn't really matter anyway. All that matters is that she's out." Looking around I caught sight of Patricia walking towards us. "Hey Patricia do you remember the first checkpoint date for the Miss Blufish project?" I called to her.

"That's not Patricia," Eddie told me scowling. "That's Piper."

"How can you tell?" She was too far away for me to even see her clothes never mind her necklace.

Eddie gave me a *I know my fiancée* look before greeting the girl with a fake smile, "Hey Piper. What are you doing here?"

Piper has always been the nice one, but she smacked Eddie hard across the face. "What was that for?" he cried so indignant that I had to stifle a giggle.

"What do you think? That's for getting my sister pregnant!"

"She's not pregnant," Eddie groaned. "Honestly not even a possibility. We might technically live together but we have roommates who don't knock for a reason."

"Then why are you in such a rush to get married?" Piper questioned and I waited in worry for Eddie's response. He couldn't exactly say that he was worried about dying young; that would require far too much explaining.

"I just don't want to wait. And it's not like I forced her to say yes! She wants this too."

"Like she could say no when you'd gone out and bought a ring!" Piper replied words still filled with malice that stemmed from fear for her sister.

Eddie laughed, "Have you met Patricia? If she didn't want to get married she wouldn't have said yes. She would probably just have laughed."

"And what would you have done if she said no? Broken up with her?" the other Williamson asked.

"Of course not!" Eddie replied indignantly. "I would have said okay and then asked again in a few months. And then if she still said no I'd wait a bit and ask again. I'd keep waiting and asking until she told me to bug off and get a life! Even then I might still have to ask one more time."

"You really love her don't you," Piper deduced shocked by the intensity in Eddie's words. "She's not pregnant and you're not just being ridiculous. You really love her."

"Your sister is the best thing that has ever happened me and I want everyone to know that I will always be there for her. Nothing, and I mean nothing," I saw Eddie glance at me slightly so Piper wouldn't notice and ask questions, "Will make me leave her."


	28. Chapter 28 House of Neddie

Come on guys, pg 12 on most reviews that's fantastic, but we can do better! Let's make it to 11 by chapter 30. :) Oh and If you'd just mark down your feelings to the chapter name I'd be thrilled 'cause I want to know how many of you cried in frustration...

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Chapter 28

House of Neddie

I shouldn't have been surprised by the intervention that occurred while I was working on Miss Blufish's project later that night. Patricia and Amber were downstairs chatting with Piper so I was alone when the door opened and Eddie and Fabian walked in.

"How long has it been since you slept Nina?" Fabian asked a frustrated look on his face. Not looking up at either of the boys who had my well-being at heart I did the math and replied simply.

"Like 40 hours, but I'm fine."

Eddie picked up the coffee from my desk and looked it over. "And this is your 3rd coffee plus I saw you chugging a Red Bull earlier. If I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to stay awake another night." Damn it. I'd been hoping Eddie would be too busy with everyone trying to talk him out of the engagement to notice that I'd not be sleeping again tonight. I was physically and mentally exhausted, but I couldn't sleep. I couldn't watch my friends die over and over again. Plus, I had a feeling it was getting harder and harder for Eddie to wake me up each morning. What if one day Anet killed me in my vision? You can't die in dreams and live, but can you die in visions and still wake up? I didn't know and I really, really didn't want to find out.

Still, I wasn't going to tell them about that. "I'm not trying to stay up. I'm going to finish this and then go straight to bed. I'm glad you care but…"

"You can't do this to yourself," Fabian whispered to me gently. "You can't stay up forever."

"Well when I'm asleep Eddie has to be awake. Why should I get to sleep and him have to stay up all night?" I asked looking my Osirian in the eye. "He has enough going on; he needs his rest."

"That's why I came up with the plan," Eddie explained annoyed. Before I could so much as object the two boys picked he up and dragged me on to my bed. "You sleep from class end to dinner, that's about 2 hours and then get another 5 hours from dinner until lights out. After lights out we can do any Sibuna stuff not done at lunch and then I can catch my normal 7 hours or so of sleep. This way neither of our organs fail and we're still getting everything done."

Eddie's plan was so logical I felt stupid for not having thought of it before, "So you do work one handed while I sleep and then I do mine middle of night while everyone else sleeps?"

Fabian shrugged, "It's not a perfect solution, but I like it. We don't agree on much when it comes to you, but we agree you need to be safe."

"Now it's time you try and get some sleep," Eddie told me hardly as he gently grabbed my hand. Shutting my eyes I was quickly out like a light.

My sleep wasn't restful- Anet continued to kill my friends over and over, but it was sleep none-the-less. About 4 hours later Eddie shook me awake and I felt remarkably better; if still tired. "I'd love to come back after Victor goes to sleep, but Amber is staying in KT and Joy's room so Piper can sleep here for the night. Trixie understands, but Piper… yikes!"

"I'll be fine. Thanks Eddie for everything," I told him sincerely. Eddie did so much for me and I wished I could do something for him. "If there is anything I can ever do to help you just call."

"Don't worry about it," Eddie told me with a platonic kiss on the head that shocked me. Anyone else I would have worried, but with Eddie I understood. We weren't a couple, but he loved me just as much as Fabian did. It was a relationship unlike anything else, but it was us. I am the Chosen One and he is my Osirian and we're just us.

I was coming back from the bathroom when I heard the twins talking inside. I was about to open the door and join the conversation when I heard Piper say my name in a very bad manner.

"I'm sorry Patricia. I know I promised to be accepting, but you have to call of this engagement," Piper pleaded.

"I don't care what mum and dad sent you here to convince me. I don't care that you left your school for a 'family emergency'. I love Eddie, I do and you're not talking me out of this," Patricia hissed back clearly annoyed at having to defend her choice over and over.

"It's not about that anymore Trix! I think Eddie is cheating on you with Nina. I saw them together in here earlier. She was sleeping and he was holding her hand staring. I'd never seen someone give such an intense look before! Then, later, I think I saw him kiss her."

Patricia's voice held more spite and anger in the next moment then I thought possible, "You don't understand Piper. Nina and Eddie are literal cousins. They're really close, but there is nothing there. Nina loves Fabian and Eddie loves me."

"Are they really cousins?" Piper asked sounding very embarrassed. I couldn't see but from the lack of response, Patricia probably was nodding.

"I know you can't understand why we're doing this and I can't explain it to you. But I love Eddie like you love music. I never even thought I could love someone like I love him. Did I expect him to ask, no, but I won't ever wish he didn't."

Trying to conceal my smile at Patricia's fierce defense to her sisters probing I opened the door and acted oblivious to Piper's accusations. Still, Patricia wasn't happy with her sister's talk of cheating and distrust. Turning to me slowly I noticed the ring hanging from the girl's necklace as a reminder but not a billboard. "So Piper and I were just talking. She understands that we've barely spent any time together since we were kids and I was wondering if you'd be willing to be my maid of honor. Considering you're Eddie's family I don't expect him to object."

Even if I hadn't been listening before and aware that that was not what they'd been talking about, I would have known from Piper's frustrated face. Still, I agreed with Patricia. Until I knew my relation to Mr. Sweet and Eddie my family had all be gone last summer, but I never cared. My family was Sibuna and I owed them all so much. "Of course Patricia I'd love to." I told her with a smile of my own. Settling into bed with my 4th coffee I pulled out my laptop, some headphones, and went on Netflix to keep myself awake. It wasn't difficult. Fear of seeing Anet again would have kept me up anyway.

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Okay so now you can breath this isn't actually going Neddie. They are cousins (once removed), but they're fantastic and have a wonderful relationship. I believe in the power of friendship and you can love entirely without being in love.


	29. Chapter 29 House of Smoke

Sorry for the late update… Supernatural to watch, live blogs to do, tears to cry…

I'm back now though so never fear Hope Lions is here! (that's become my motto as those of you who I've spoken to through PM's surely noticed.)

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Chapter 29

House of Smoke

If I hadn't been switching between watching Doctor Who and Supernatural I would never have heard the noise. There was barely a creak of the door to be heard by my sleeping comrades, but the flashlight outside caught my eye.

Someone was breaking into Anubis House.

Sliding my feet into a pair of slippers, I gently crossed the room to wake Patricia up. Glancing at Piper I decided to cover Patricia's mouth so she wouldn't scream and wake her twin up. When the girl woke she almost murdered me, but my plan worked and Piper remained asleep. No words of explanation were needed for Patricia; my face said enough. Something was wrong and we needed the boys.

Eddie must have heard my increased heartbeat because he and Fabian were on the other side of the door when I opened it. "What's going on?" Patricia whispered and I pointed to the cellar door. The padlock Victor used in a feeble attempt to keep us out had been broken and the door was cracked open.

"Who is it?" Fabian whispered as we crept down the stairs and through the open door (easier than going into the kitchen and using the crawlspace).

"No idea," I replied softly; whoever they were I wouldn't like them. For me that's practically a guarantee. Worry prickled within me as each footstep I took landed softly on the cellar steps and we found ourselves in the empty cellar. Somehow they'd already gotten into Frobisher's study.

"It's not Victor. He wouldn't have had to break the lock upstairs, but who else knows the combination?" I shared Eddie's confusion because as far as I knew there were 3 people not in Sibuna who knew the combination, Frobisher (obviously), Victor, and…"

"You don't think it's Vera right?" Patricia asked loudly enough that Fabian had to shush her. "I mean she's long gone. Isn't she?" the girl continued with a hushed voice.

"With Rufus dead I don't know who she could be working for," I answered placing my ear to the study door. "It's empty. Exactly how much does this person know?"

"Too much," Eddie confirmed imputing the code and opening the library. Our intruder had disappeared into the tunnels, but I felt a twinge of relief that she didn't know the exact book that opened the door. (Or so it would appear considering the piles of books strewn across the study.)

"How do we know he's not right on the other side of this door ready to attack us?" Patricia worried as Eddie went to pull the book and open the tunnel systems of Anubis house.

"We don't, but I doubt they came all this way, broke into the school, and entered the tunnels just to ambush us. Besides Nina we were all asleep. If they wanted to mess with us they would have killed us in our beds… or tried to at least."

"Well isn't he cheerful at all hours of the night," Patricia whispered back sarcastically, but Eddie's words seemed to relieve her of some of the fear.

"Come on. They can't be too far in. They're smoke, but even smoke only moves as fast as the wind," I told the others bravely entering the catacombs. All of us stayed silent as mice as we carefully approached the intruder not wanting to be seen before we could see. We were just turning the corner into the Senet room when Eddie stopped moving and held out a hand. Peaking around the edge I caught sight of the cloaked figure for only a second before he spun towards me. My reflexes were fast, but the intruder knew I was there and drew me around the corner with the smooth tremble of his voice.

"I see you there dear Paragon so the Osirian must not be far behind," the cloaked figure taunted. Eddie shook his head for me to stop, but the voice pulled me like a siren's song. Unable to stop me from revealing myself Eddie stepped from the shadows and stood between the trespasser and me.

"You're a women," I heard him notice, but the words were lost on me. A song played inside my head- the lullaby of the gods.

"I am a god," the women replied. Even in my slightly crazed state I knew that wasn't true. She certainly didn't look like a god while wearing a jackal mask of Set that, if it didn't radiate pure evil, would have reminded me of the Mask of Anubis. (Considering Anubis is Set's son though it's not weird to think their animal faces would be similar though.) "I am a god and you are my servants. Kneel before me." Without a thought, I began to fall to my knees, but as the danger I faced increased so did the determination and will of my Osirian. Before I could even brush my knees against the cool ground, Eddie's hand shot out and steadied me. As the smoke cleared from my mind at Eddie's touch I made the vital connections.

"You are no god. You are Anet come to terrify me and steal the ankh pieces." If I thought naming the women would do something I was wrong, she only smiled behind the deep mask.

"I have no need to steal the ankh pieces, to me they are useless. Only the Chosen One can assemble Osiris's ankh and serve it to her Osirian. I will wait until all is done and just before the silver touches his cursed lips I will swoop in and claim my prize. The Osirian will die and you will live to watch the world burn with no one there to wake you from your nightmares."

"You're a ghost," Eddie told her forcefully. "You can't pluck the cup from me with your cold, dead hands. You don't really have any."

"What do you think I'm wearing now?" the ancient youth asked with a cackle. "This is my prom dress, my reward for decades of bondage. By her hands you shall fall and with you this mess called a world. The old gods will be new and everyone will know the power of Anet!"

With the speed of light, but force of a bull Anet charged past and disappeared into the crypt and the night leaving four startled and exhausted teens to wonder back through the tunnels.

And as if it wasn't bad enough Fabian opened Robert's study door and standing there in the middle of the cellar was a very suspicious Piper.


	30. Chapter 30 House of Confrontations

Watch for the clue ;) Also, if Shakespear can invent 'blood sucking' I can invent dubiousity. It means the state of being dubious. :)

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Chapter 30

House of Confrontations

"What is this place?" Piper asked pushing past the shell-shocked quartet and into the study. "Why do you have a secret room in a forbidden cellar?"

"The house is old I don't know why it's there," Patricia snapped back at her sister. "And what are you doing up?"

"I saw you and Nina sneak out of the room so I figured I better follow and see what you're really up to," the girl rebutted. "So… Care to explain what on earth is going on?"

"Snogging!" a nervous Fabian yelled out of the blue. Piper gave me a 'is your boyfriend mad' look before Eddie jumped in to save his roommate.

"What Fabian means is that we were here on a date… We had a double date planned for tonight, but then you showed up and we couldn't go so we figured why not just sneak down here. Normally it's just the kissing spot, but you know dusty old books are sort of romantic."

The dubiousity on the girl's face said that she didn't believe us, but with no other logical explanation presenting itself, Piper just smiled. "I guess I'd better get back to bed then. I might not be a student, but Victor would have no qualms against giving me detention."

"No Miss Williamson I wouldn't," Victor's cool voice slid over me like a serpent and I knew we were in trouble. Victor wouldn't have considered letting us off without Piper as a witness. With the girl here we were doomed.

"We can explain," Fabian muttered, but it was no good. The sun would not rise for another two hours and we'd woken Victor up. There were no explanations to be had.

"UPSTAIRS NOW!" Victor cried through gritted teeth. Dashing up the cellar stairs, I was greeted by the rest of Anubis house standing in the foyer where Victor obviously told them to wait. My fellow Sibuna members wanted to know why we'd gone down without them, or so their faces said, but Victor began stalking back and forth saving me from an explanation.

"I have endured much foolishness these past years, but no more! From now on anyone who is out of bed after curfew will receive a detention. Anyone who talks back to me will receive a detention. Anyone who yells inside will receive a detention. AND ANYONE WHO IS CAUGHT IN A FORBIDDEN AREA OF THIS HOUSE WILL RECEIVE NOT ONLY A DETENTION, BUT WILL HAVE TO FACE MY PERSONAL WRATH! UNDERSTOOD?"

Terrified we all nodded vigorously, but Victor was beyond furious and bellowed again. "WHEN I ASK A QUESTION I EXPECT A PROPER ANSWER. AM I CLEAR?"

"Yes, Victor," we squeaked in response.

"You will all serve detention tomorrow and be expected to help the janitorial staff scrub the school. Hopefully you'll learn the lesson I have been unable to drill into your heads. Children are swine and if they choose to behave as such they will be treated as such. NOW OFF TO BED!" Before he could say anything else I went to make my escape, but Victor physically grabbed Eddie and my collars pulling us back. "Not. You. Two." Victor spoke each word with the utmost precision and I knew we were in far more trouble than having to clean the school.

Fabian and Patricia flashed us a sympathetic glance, but neither were foolish enough to risk Victor's fury by sticking around. As the last door shut and everyone returned to bed, Eddie and I were left to withstand the worst of the red-faced man's fury. "I want to hear no excused no explanations," he began in response to Eddie's opening mouth. "I do not care who you are or what you are responsible for doing. I do not care if you are 'chosen' or trying to save your ridiculous hides. This is my property. I own it and have generously agreed to lend it to your father," Victor's finger jabbed Eddie's chest before he continued, "as a school dorm house. You break my lock most likely weakened from years of bobby pins. You sneak around expecting me to be generous, but my generosity is up. I cannot stop you from doing your duties, that would be like trying to stop the gods, but I can stop you from leading others to destruction with you. You are to buy a new lock for the cellar door and keep one of the keys. You are to only go down between the hours of midnight and two AND YOU ARE TO GO DOWN ALONE! I cannot stop you and I don't wish to condemn Mr. Miller to death, but this is for their own good. Any other students you bring down to Frobisher's study and the adjacent tunnels will be expelled for trespassing. You have been lucky so far with not getting someone killed, but you are not the first chosen of Egypt to live under this roof and you most likely won't be the last. The house calls your blood, but blood is what always ends up being shed. Don't condemn your friends to death; use my warning as an excuse if you must. My expulsion is much kinder fate than the untimely death this house will surely impose on them. Now off to bed both of you!" Victor turned away from us and called to all of the house. "You have five minutes! And then I want to hear a pin," clang, "drop."

"Victor," I told the man after Eddie already disappeared, but before I went back up the stairs. "Believe me or not, we didn't break the padlock, someone else did. There is a rat in this school and she broke into the house and then the cellar within minutes. Just thought you should know." I didn't' stay to see the man's response, but instead ran up to my room and found my phone blinking with a new message.

**Eddie: Did Victor just give us permission to keep looking for the ankh?**

** You: I think so… as long as we don't bring the others with us.**

** Eddie: So we have to disband Sibuna?**

My lip started to bleed from the pressure I was enforcing on it as I replied.

**You: I guess so… but it will never work.**

** Eddie: I know. Can you imagine trying to get Patricia to stop?**

Looking over at the girl who'd fallen back asleep quickly, I smiled.

**You: Never going to happen. We'll just have to be careful. No one in Sibuna would quit; they're in too deep. **

** Eddie: But if they're caught Victor will expel them**

** You: We should tell them that and if they want to quit they can… it's up to them, but we've never let Victor's threats get to us before.**

My own message blinked for about five minutes and it wasn't until I went to put my phone away the Eddie sent a new message to replace it.

**Eddie: Did you tell Victor about Anet?**

** You: I told him that someone was down there, but didn't give specifics. Why?**

** Eddie: What if Victor IS Anet… I mean what is he's the one she was possessing.**

** You: She definitely was possessing a women, probably some poor unsuspecting Egyptian who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It can't be Victor.**

** Eddie: You're probably right… still have a bad feeling though.**

** You: Like an Osirian bad feeling or just a normal bad feeling?**

** Eddie: Like there is something obvious we're missing bad feeling…**

** You: I think we're missing plenty, so I wouldn't worry about it.**

Eddie didn't reply after that and hopefully my lie had been good enough that his nerves were calmed enough for him to sleep. Mine weren't though because I knew exactly what Eddie felt we were missing.

Anet wasn't possessing some poor Egyptian girl. I couldn't place them under the mask, but I recognized the person she was possessing… or their body shape at least.

And that meant only one thing. Whoever Anet was 'wearing' is close to me and could very easily be one of Sibuna.

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Did you catch the clue? Is Anet possessing one of Sibuna? Can Sibuna survive with Victor breathing down their necks? I want to hear every thought that cross your mind while reading this so please, review and let me know. You never know what you might guess.


	31. Chapter 31 House of Traitors

So sorry for not updating yesterday. I had chorus until 5 and then my mom forgot to pick me up so I didn't get to do my homework until 8…Well enough said

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Chapter 31

House of Traitors

"Now, as you know, the written portion of your project isn't due until the end of the week, but I hope you're all prepared for the oral presentation. Nina, Eddie, would you mind going first?"

Shit. With all the going to Egypt, discovering lost tombs and being haunted by my arch-enemy's daughter I'd completely forgotten about Miss Blufish's project. And, from the look on Eddie's face, he'd forgotten too.

Strolling up to the front of the room, I said the first word that popped into my mind. "Senkarah." Eddie shook his head in a 'seriously?' manner before backing me up.

"As I'm sure you've all heard there was a formerly unopened tomb discovered a few days ago by a Dr. Blue," Eddie was trying to keep the grin of knowledge from his face, but we both found it hard. Oh what they didn't know.

"This tomb belonged to Egyptian 19th dynasty ruler Senkarah, who was one of the many rulers who took over in the years after King Tut's death. Senkarah is different however, not just because she had been forgotten by history, but because she is a she. It is yet unknown how Senkarah came to power, but her son-in-law is known to have had an affair with Tut's mistress Amnertis, so that might have played a factor," or maybe her insatiable thirst for power helped; no one would ever know.

"Though her reign was short Senkarah is known as the murdering mother because she killed her daughter, Anet, after Anet murdered Amnertis, and attempted to murder Tut's illegitimate duagter Tutska. It is yet unknown how Senkarah died, but, just as in the case of Tut, her lack of notoriety has provided a wealth of knowledge," Eddie finished with a knowing grin that all of Anubis house couldn't help but return. If only these people knew.

"Very, good," Miss Blufish said with a nod. "Anyone have any questions? No?" Eddie and I went to re-take our seats when Miss Blufish's look made us stop. "I'm very glad you two picked such a current topic as Senkarah. She does seem to be an interesting character. KT and Willow would you care to present next?"

As the rest of the presentations dragged on I studied my fellow students trying to imagine them each with the mask of Set on. Yet no one seemed to fit the characteristics they were all too tall and generally large. The women Anet was possessing last night had been lean-fit, but tiny. No one here seemed to fit that description. _Maybe it was just some random Egyptian. _The hopeful part of me prompted. _Maybe none of your friends have betrayed you. _

The thought almost made me laugh in the middle of Fabian's presentation about Justinian; as if I could be that lucky.

There was a time when I was lucky. Sure, my parents died when I was young and I always had been bullied over living with Gran, but up until I discovered the truth of my identity life had been great. Even the days of the original mystery had been fine because I didn't have anything at stake if I messed up. Then came Senkarah and the threat of my friends lives which changed everything. Sure, there were still SOME fun times, but in general I just felt like crying. I'd finally thought my luck had returned when Senkarah disappeared and my Gran got better, but within the month Gran died and I was left alone for the first time in my life. My friends thought it was bad having to fight Ammut, and I admit that must have been hard, but at least they never had to fight alone. I tracked down the ring all by myself and when the time to steal it came all I had was Kat to help me… she's not exactly a friend.

But she gave herself up in my place. She could have made a plea bargain that turned in the real thief-the one who gave her access to the artifacts, but she didn't. Now Kat was awaiting trial and I was left to find these ankh pieces. Maybe this time I had help, but it didn't really feel like it. Any one of my friends could be secretly possessed and I wouldn't know.

I did know that I had to find the ankh. Maybe that is what will cause my vision to come true, but I don't care. Eddie would go to Hell and back for me not because he's my Osirian, but because he was my friend. He deserved at least as much from me.

"Earth to Nina, the bell rang over a minute ago. We've got a detention to serve," Fabian told me waving his hand in front of my face. Shaking the drowsiness from my mind I let out a sarcastic smile.

"Yippie."

"So. Care to tell us what really happened last night?" Amber asked as Patricia, she, and I cleaned the school bathroom. Patricia knew and was going to answer, but I stopped her before she could. Hopefully, the girl would just be able to trust that I had my reasons for lying and not contradict me.

"Someone broke into the house, we followed them down into the cellar, but lost them in the tunnels. Searched the whole place and they were gone. Must have known we'd followed them and fled."

"But who knows about the tunnels?" Amber asked loudly. "I mean we do, obviously, Victor, Rufus and Vera. It's not them right?"

"Yeah, I thought you said this had nothing to do with Rufus or Senkarah," Jerome reminded from the open door where he and Joy stood arms folded around the chest. "Care to explain what you and your Scooby gang are up to this year?"

My mouth opened and closed a few time (yes, like a fish) before I finally spoke. "I can't explain. Victor told us that anyone besides Eddie and me who gets involved will be expelled." Amber's face looked horrified as I continued. "But don't worry it's not Rufus and it's not Senkarah. They're dead and gone. Her name just came to mind because when we were in Egypt… because of stuff… Eddie and I discovered her tomb."

"I don't believe that that's all," Joy replied doubtful. "But I'd like to get through my senior year alive so I'll leave it at that and thank God that you turned out to be the Chosen One after all."

When they left a furious Patricia and Amber turned to me hands on their hips. "And what do you mean that if we continue Sibuna we're going to get expelled?"


	32. Chapter 32 House of In

I don't normally do shout outs but thank you guest for pointing out that there is no S at the end of Yacker.

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Chapter 32

House of In

To avoid Victor's watchful eye our possibly-final Sibuna meeting was to be held in the old burn clearing where I was first initiated. I hadn't been there since coming back to England, but it looked exactly as it did that night with the embers of the fire a burning reminder of our dedication. That was one of the good times, one of the last good times. We all lost something precious that night, but what we got in return, Sibuna and our friendships, made it all worth it.

"I've called you here today in light of what Victor said yesterday," I told my anxious friends once everyone had settled on to the logs. "As I'm sure you've heard Victor promised to expel anyone besides Eddie and I who he thinks is still involved in Sibuna. I do not doubt his commitment to doing just that and I know he is doing it to protect you. Anyone who is in Sibuna can and will get hurt; you being in this might very well lead to your death." My friends tried to all start talking, but I shushed them. "That being said I'm not going to kick you out. You're my friends and without you I would have died years ago. I think that you should each make your decision. Anyone who wants to quit can and none of us left behind will blame you. It would only prove that you're the smart one. And, anyone who wants to continue can and know that you have my gratitude if you're going to stick it out with me."

With my words complete I sat down on the empty log and prepared myself for my sane friends to abandon me. "Well I'd be in even if I didn't have to be," Eddie responded quickly as he sat down next to me. While it was nice to know I wasn't going at this alone, it wasn't like Eddie really had an option. It was, after all, his life we were fighting for.

"And I'm not leaving Eddie or you Nina. Of course I'm in." Patricia confirmed coming and sitting next to her fiancée. Fabian was the next one to speak and I was afraid to look up and face him, so I instead stared at his hands where he fiddled with the knot of Isis ring.

"You made your promise not to leave me in an Egyptian desert, but I made mine in a dusty attic. Of course I'll help you Nina," he finally said softly causing Amber to let out a literal 'aww'. Smiling I looked into his eyes and was reminded of why I gave him that ring. He was Fabian, my Fabian.

"Well I practically invented Sibuna. I'm not going to quit now that things are getting tough," Amber told us boisterously skipping over to where we sat. Now, the only ones left to make their decisions were KT and Alfie.

"Well if I don't help you who else is going to be able to identify our zombie?" Alfie finally asked after an unbearable silence.

Now it was only KT left to respond and with a shrug she too made her way over to where I sat. "I got expelled over Sibuna once before; let Victor try it again."

Here I'd been afraid of having to do things alone and not a single person backed out. But I guess that's just what it means to be in Sibuna. It's dangerous, it's annoying, it's exhausting, but it's having the chance to do something amazing and no one can pass that up.

"YAY!" Amber cried clapping her hands. "Sibuna is all together again! And now I think we should make it official. Anyone have a lighter?"

Everyone shrugged, but Eddie pulled one from his pocket causing us all to give him suspicious looks. "No I don't smoke. Yes it is a long story. Amber, why do you need a lighter?"

"Because you haven't even undergone the ceremony. It's a shame!" Amber told his with a shake of the head. Catching on I rolled my eyes and helped the girl light the fire. "Okay. KT, Patricia and Eddie I need you all to pull out something really precious to you and toss it in the fire."

"What?" the three of them all cried indignantly. I didn't blame them. When Amber had said the same thing to me 2 years ago I hadn't exactly been willing to sacrifice something I loved either.

"Come on. We all did it," Alfie prompted and one by one they did so. I noticed Eddie fiddle with his ring, but eventually he pulled a receipt from his pocket.

"This is the receipt for Patricia's ring," he told us before tossing it into the fire. "So I hope you're happy."

"My most prized possession is my engagement ring, but you're not getting that," Patricia snarked. "But here, it's my old skull necklace. I haven't been wearing it much lately anyways with my Isis amulet."

Finally, KT pulled off her black and white watch before tossing it into the fire but not giving any explanation for who the watch belonged to or why it was so special. I, however, knew the look she gave as she tossed it in the fire and watched it melt. KT, the only one who had no person loyalty to me, sacrificed the most loved possession of us all.

"Okay. Now repeat after me," Amber told them continuing on with the initiation. After placing her right hand over her eye Amber began. "I, state your name here, being of sound mind promise to protect the secrets of Anubis House and stand by my fellow club members."

After the three new initiates mumbled through the words I raised my own hand and spoke firmly. "Sibuna."

"Sibuna." My friends repeated with a smile.

Maybe we had expulsion waiting for us. Maybe someone I knew was possessed. Maybe all of us who stood around this fire today would be killed by Anet, but in this shining moment I didn't care. We were here. We were together. We were alive. We were Sibuna.

We were good.


	33. Chapter 33 House of the Lord

Chapter 33

House of the Lord

"We're just going to have to be careful," I told the others on the way back to house after our ritual was done. "We meet at the clearing instead of in the house and, unless absolutely necessary, only Eddie and I go into the tunnels. Victor can't expel you because we're friends."

"We can't do anything until we figure out this clue though," Eddie pointed out and I scowled. He was, of course, right.

"You know it's weird, but when you first read it I kept thinking about Jesus," Alfie mentioned. "Weird, right? Wrong mythology."

"You know I did the same thing," KT added like she'd been to afraid to mention it, but, upon Alfie doing it first, had decided to let the information be free.

"It actually would make sense," Fabian muttered pulling out his Sibuna notebook where he'd written the clue down. "I mean Louisa believed in many gods, but Christians only believe in one. And Jesus is the son of God who, apparently, saved us from sin."

"So you think we're looking for something Jesus related? Like what?" Patricia asked and I suddenly got an idea.

Ripping the notebook from Fabian's hands I dropped to the ground and drew a normal ankh and then on a new page the two pieces we'd found. "See we have the top part, but if you look at it the ankh is basically a cross with an oval at the top. There's 5 pieces right so we have the top two, and then the other three would be the three sides that make up the T."

"And you think that Louisa just made a silver cross and put a piece of the ankh in it?" Eddie clarified like it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. (By the gods the guy's life relied on a ring and he thought this was ridiculous?) "Wouldn't that be a bit, I don't know, sacrilegious?"

"It would be smart," Fabian countered clearly impressed. "I mean who would think to look in a cross?"

"But what cross?" I wondered. "I mean how many crosses and crucifixes exist in this world? How on earth are we supposed to find it?'

"Well obviously she thought the wall of the pin would mean something to us," Alfie pointed out. "No offense you guys because I know you're all related, but I'm starting to think the Frobishers are nuts."

"Their not nuts!" KT defended. Technically, we were both just as related to them, but I had to agree with Aflie- sometimes they seemed a bit insane.

"I think they're brilliant," Amber answered shocking us all. Amber, who'd always complained about the clues and riddles, thought the Frobishers were brilliant? "I mean sure, they riddles are ridiculous and a pain, but they're designed to be hard. No one is supposed to be able to decode them because they never wanted these things found."

"Well obviously they've never been that hard," Patricia opposed. "I mean in 3 years we've found a cup, a mask, a few amulets, a ancient gem, the staff of Osiris, and a tank with an ancient but cursed man."

I could only scoff, "We've basically been very lucky for 4 years. I honestly don't even know how we figured these things out."

"Exactly!" Eddie exclaimed as if everything had just become obvious to him. "We've only figured these things out because they're designed for someone who knows the insides and outs of Anubis house. All of us have spent countless hours sleeping in her beds and wandering through her tunnels; we know this house like no one else."

"I think the point Eddie is trying to make," Patricia began, "Is that we don't need to think of where in the world the cross is because it's somewhere on the property. So think pins, what's the first word that comes to mind?"

"VICTOR!" Alfie cried and I panicked afraid he'd followed us and was coming to expel all my friends. Once the others calmed down from their similar reactions Amber caught on to what her ex was suggesting.

"Victor's dad was around with Louisa, right, and didn't Victor get his 'it's 10 o'clock pin drop from his dad?"

"So you think… does Victor have a cross in his office?" I wondered trying to picture the room. Shutting my eyes the ugly walls and desks appeared unchanged from how they looked the first time I met Victor 3 years ago. Mentally, I searched the room for a cross and came up with nothing.

"I don't think there is a cross," Fabian muttered clearly having done the same assessment as me.

Suddenly, Eddie burst out in a roaring laugh. When he calmed down enough to speak his words came out choppy. "Well there is one place of Victor's we've never seen. I don't know about you guys, but I've never been into Victor's room."

Victor's room… I'd never even thought about it. He didn't sleep in his office (well occasionally, but not often.) so he had to sleep somewhere. I knew that there were a couple rooms downstairs where Trudy and Victor slept, but entering them… I'd never considered it.

"You think Victor just keeps a cross in his room?" KT wondered. For such a paganistic man to have a cross it would be a small miracle, but getting into his room to find it was a whole other matter.

"Well," Eddie suggested with a smile. "My dad picked up a new lock to replace the one Victor's convinced we broke. We have to give Victor a key, don't we? Why don't we just go into his room and, if he even asks, say we were looking to give him the key."

"He probably won't even ask," I reminded. "He's pretty freaked out with all the trouble we've gotten in. He's out of elixir, or so he says, so maybe he's trying to atone for his actions by sucking up to the gods by helping us."

"So that's decided then," Fabian decided with a nod. "During dinner we should all give Nina and Eddie the cold shoulder, just to make Victor happy, and then after dinner you two go and check out his room."

No one saw any issues with the plan so we stepped into the house and prepared our plan. "Where do you think you're going?" Fabian asked grabbing my arm as I headed towards the kitchen to grab a glass of water. "You, sleep, now, Eddie come on."

So much for pretending we had all gone our separate ways.

* * *

I'm sorry, but does anyone else just find how much Fabian wants to make sure Nina doesn't die of sleep deprivation as the cutest thing in the world? i mean he can't like having Eddie watch Nina sleep every day, but he encourages it for her sake. It's just too cute!


	34. Chapter 34 House of Chains

Chapter 34

House of Chains

My nightmare had changed. Anet stood in her possessed body looking exactly as she did yesterday in the tunnels, while I was trapped on a raft in the middle of the river of blood from my other dream. Crocodile's circled at my feet and the only thing I could do was dash from side to side kicking the approaching reptiles before they A-bit me or B-sunk my sloppy raft. As Anet watched me struggle, she let out the most sickening laugh, "You can't escape and you're all alone. Wouldn't it just be easier to let the sons of Sobek devour you?" While Anet taunted me I heard the yells of Eddie as he ran in a futile attempt to catch up with me as the rapid current carried me farther away. I was just crossing a bend in the river when I saw Anet grab Eddie and I woke up to my living Osirian shaking me.

"It's fine, just a dream," Eddie reassured, but he too had seen what I saw and knew that wasn't true. Piece by piece I was being shown what would happen when we assembled the ankh, but we didn't have any choices. It was starting to feel like an elephant sat on my chest and every bone in my body was killing me. I was supporting two people on my own, measly, life force and I couldn't do it for much seemed that no matter what we did the chains of death had latched on to Eddie and me and now were ready to take their victims.

Sticky sweat covered my body, so I decided to shower quickly before dinner and the investigation of Victor's room. Both Fabian and Eddie tried to stop me from leaving, they probably wanted to talk about my new vision, but I didn't want to have to revisit it in words. I wished I could just forget about it all.

Dinner was an awkward affair. While Patricia refused to act mad at Eddie (people were giving them a hard enough time over the engagement), she did a very good job of pretending to me annoyed with me and was almost to the point of dumping some liquid on me. Joy and Jerome, the only ones unaffected by the fake tension, spoke and laughed loudly about some movie they were going to watch tonight, but even their cheer couldn't release me from the cloud of despair forming inside my mind. It just seemed like I could do nothing right and everything would end with death. If only Amnertis hadn't broken the cup I'd be normal, Eddie would be normal, and none of us would have to worry.

But the cup was broken all those millenniums ago, and now Eddie and I had to ransack Victor's room to find a cross. "You ready?" he asked me when everyone else went to do homework and Victor sat in his office doing Victor things. With a nod, I pulled the bobby pin from my hair and picked the lock on his room. I'd expected the room to be some weird cross between his disorganized office and freak show basement, but it turned out to look just like any of the other bedrooms. It seemed Victor spent so little time in here he felt no need to give it any form of personal touch. "Well that was easy," Eddie said with a laugh pointing to the small silver crucifix hanging on the far wall. The two of us quickly grabbed it and I felt where the real piece had been broken off to attack the ankh piece. One of the sides was just a bit thicker than the others and with a snap the ankh piece detached in my hands.

"3 down, two to do," I told Eddie brightly. "Any sign of the clue?"

Flipping the cross around Eddie was about to shrug when he noticed a sticky-note or sorts hidden beneath a splinter of the wood block the cross had hung from.

**Hanging from the child's chain**

** A moon that will never wain**

** A sign of my love**

** Given to my princess dove**

Eddie and I slid from the room, gave our friends a slight nod, then went our separate ways both left to ponder the words.

To me it seemed obvious, Louisa has attached the ankh piece to a necklace of the moon she gave to Sarah. The problem was that Sarah had died and I had supposedly gotten all her belongings. The necklace Louisa spoke of wasn't one of the things I received, so what happened to it? Had she lost it before becoming Emily? Had it been stolen or did some of her things not go to me? Who would Sarah have given it to though? As far as I knew she was alone with no friends besides me come her final days.

So what happened to the necklace?

"You can always go to the old people's home tomorrow," Amber suggested later that night after I filled my roommates in on what we'd found. "They probably have some record of what happens to people's things when they die."

Ambers suggestion had already crossed my mind, but I'd hoped I wouldn't have to. Sarah and I barely knew each other, but now it turned out she was my great-grandmother. Plus, we shared something with few others-we were both Chosen Ones and knew the pain that came with that. I didn't understand or believe anything when Sarah was alive, but even after her death she helped me in dreams and through her dollhouse. When the dollhouse was ruined I'd lost my last connection to my friend. Going back to where we met would only hurt.

Still, I needed answers, and maybe someone could help me before Eddie and I died. After all, Sarah wouldn't want me to die because I was afraid of facing my ghosts.


	35. Chapter 35 House of Magic

Don't forget to review with any theories, questions, hate mail, fan mail, whatever.

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Chapter 35

House of Powers

"We can't all go," I told my anxious friends on our way to classes. "It might just freak them out of a horde on teenagers come barging into their old people home. Fabian and I both knew Sarah, so we're the most likely to be recognized. So why don't Fabian, Eddie and I go during lunch."

"How come Eddie always gets to go?" Alfie groaned and I gave him a look. "Right, sorry." He answered abashed. I wish Eddie didn't have to follow me everywhere (and me follow him likewise), but with this curse we can't afford to take chances.

Plus, you never know when you might need some freaky Osirian powers. If something was to go wrong or we needed to do the hand-throw-stone thing, I'd need Eddie by my side.

"Would Nina Martin please come down to Mr. Sweet's office," I heard the headmaster call as I was about to go into first period. Eddie shot me a look and I only shrugged. Why did Mr. Sweet need me?

"Ah Nina," Mr. Sweet called when I poked my head through the door. "Come in and sit down." The boisterous man had regained the bound in his step missing when he sent us off for our trip to Egypt. Then he had obviously been thinking of the dangers we'd face, but now he just seemed like his old self.

"What can I do for you Mr. Sweet?" I asked and the man waved his hand.

"Please, when not in a school setting call me Eric. I am your uncle after all," he told me with a smile that I feigned in reply. Maybe we were related and maybe he was my mom's Osirian, but thinking of Mr. Sweet as Eric, or even worse 'Uncle Eric' was horrific.

"You're not in trouble, don't worry." I hadn't thought I was in trouble (you tend to know something like that), but his assurance that I wasn't here to be punished only heightened my confusion. So why then was I here? "I only have a few things I feel it necessary to discuss, about you and Eddie." Oh. This was an Egypt thing. "And Eddie and Patricia."

"She's not pregnant if that's what you're going to ask." My gods of the afterlife I was starting to get annoyed with the questions. Everyone knows I'm Patricia's best friend these days, but I wish they could just go to her. It's like people automatically assume that I'm against the engagement and would do anything to call it off.

"That wasn't what I was trying to imply…" A red face Mr. Sweet defended. "I'm merely asking if you know their reasons behind the move."

"Mr. Sweet, I mean Eric. I'm not going to discuss your son and my best friend's love lives with you. If you want to know their reasons behind it maybe you should ask them instead of trying to weasel information out of me."

"I wasn't trying to weasel," Mr. Sweet stuttered. "I just thought that because you two are so close."

"If you want to talk Chosen One and Osirian we can, but I get the impression you'd like to leave that part of your life behind you," I told him coolly. He knew of the curse and he had a right to stay away, but I wished he had come to the funeral. The connection Eddie and I have is the strongest thing I can imagine and I don't understand how he could not come to say goodbye.

Mr. Sweet was sweating as he spoke. "It is true that I don't like to think of the shadow war that goes on around us daily, but I do. I was born knowing what I was and when I heard Suzan, your mother, had a daughter at exactly the same time I had my son I knew Eddie had replaced me. I spent years of my past protecting both of you and trying to convince myself that what I knew was wrong. But that's not what I want to talk about exactly. I want to talk about you two's relationship."

"Were you really planning on leaving me out of this conversation?" Eddie, who obviously had followed me instead of going to class, asked as he stepped into his dad's office.

Maybe Eric Sweet was just finally getting to know his son, or maybe he heard the boy eaves dropping, but he didn't look surprised when Eddie showed up. Instead, he just waited for Eddie to sit down and continued. "I hope you don't think I withheld this information because I have some evil scheme," he began. "I just never knew exactly what to say. I won't give you a history lesson-I'm sure you know all about Amnertis and Asim-I just hope to shed some light on what it means to be the Chosen One and the Osirian."

I didn't imagine there was much more Mr. Sweet could tell us that we didn't know, but I sat on the edge of my seat as he spoke. "The term Chosen one originally referred to the person who, through the power of Anubis, could, on special dates, reassemble the Cup of Ankh that Amnertis broke. Over the course of history however other gods and goddesses have seen the Chosen One as a human to grant powers to so she or he can do a god's dirty work. With the cup all assembled that will mainly be what you and all future Chosen Ones have to deal with." I'd kind of figured that out already. (Though the idea of a god/dess wanting something of me was much scarier than the idea of pesky ghosts trying to take over the world.)

"As for you Eddie, with the original task of the Chosen One completed the job of the Osirian is even more important. You can banish spirits, as, if what I've overheard is correct, you did with Senkarah. You have visions of dangers that will in any way affect the Chosen One. That's why you had visions last year even without Nina around. You weren't protecting her directly, but without your powers the world would die and Nina with it. You can heal Nina, but since her ribs are fine I think you know that. The soul is split into 5 parts, one of which is the ba that travels in dreams. The Osirian spirit can anchor the ba of the Chosen One which allows you to protect Nina in dreams from spirits and demons." So Eddie's presence wasn't just comforting; he was literally keeping me from being sucked into the dream/visions. "Finally, you and Nina can form a mental bond, you might call it telepathy, which theoretically allows you to speak mentally across great distances."

I could see the wheels in Eddie's mind turning as he processed all his abilities. "So basically if it will help me keep Nina safe I can do it?" Eddie concluded and his father nodded.

"It might seem odd to you Nina, but I know exactly what it feels like to be the Osirian. It's like there are two spirits inside you-your own and that of the Osirian. Most of the time you're just you, but occasionally, when your Chosen One needs you, the other spirit takes over and there is only one person in the world who you would do absolutely anything for."

Mr. Sweet might not be the Osirian anymore, but I couldn't help but wonder if that Osirian spirit ever fully leaves. For as the man looked deep into the past he held a steadfast determination to protect a women who's been dead for 13 years.

* * *

I know it's weird, and not much after I forgot to update yesterday, but I needed this chapter out there for both this fic and the sequel.


	36. Chapter 36 House of Emily

Chapter 36

House of Emily

After school Eddie, Fabian and I set off straight away towards the retirement home. Stepping into the place for the first time in years, I was shocked by the sheer smell of old. In a way the place smelt of Senkarah's tomb. The scent of death lingered in the air along with sterilization. I always assumed the clean smell was to protect people, but maybe it was really just to mask the stench of death and despair.

Okay. Maybe I needed to get a bit more sleep. I was starting to sound like a proper associate of the death god with my way of thinking.

"Can I help you three?" the women at the desk greeted and I smiled as I recognized her. Mrs. Mulligan, that's her name. "Don't I know you?" she recognized at the same time I did.

"Yeah, um, I'm Nina Martin, this is my boyfriend Fabian and my friend Eddie," I told her with a smile. "I used to be a friend of Emily Grant, she was a patient here."

From the confused look on Eddie's face he didn't know that Sarah had been known as Emily, but Mrs. Mulligan instantly knew who I meant. "Yes yes I remember you now!" she told me smiling brightly. "So nice to see you. What is it that you're here for?"

"Well it's kind of hard to explain," Fabian told her causing Eddie to chuckle. Obviously we couldn't explain to this women anything, but it's not actually that hard to explain.

"When Emily died I was given all her possessions, they were in a box, but I recently discovered that Emily was actually by great-grandmother when working on a school family tree." Well, that was close enough to the truth.

"Isn't that funny," Mrs. Mulligan muttered with a laugh. "Blood really does call to blood, doesn't it."

"Yes," I told her with a nod. 'I guess it does. The thing is I came across record of her having a silver moon necklace that dates back to Ancient Egypt and am just trying to track it down. You wouldn't have any records would you of what she came here with?"

Mrs. Mulligan's smile faded. "That's probably not something I can help you with, but let me find her file and look." As the women disappeared, I exchanged a look with my boys. If Sarah's file didn't mention anything about the necklace then we were royally screwed. How do you track down a piece of jewelry when the only person who owned it is dead? "Let me see here," the caretaker muttered as she opened up the file and started to scan. "You did receive everything Emily owned at the time of her death, but apparently there were certain family items being sold by her estate manager to pay for her care here. We don't have any record of what was sold, but I can give you her contact info."

"Would you really do that?" I asked with my most patronizing smile. In all reality I just wanted to scream; this was getting harder and harder. Why did Louisa have to put a priceless artifact on a necklace?

Soon enough my trio was picking up a taxi and driving into the city to meet Emily/Sarah's estate agent. "You think she's going to be able to help us?" Eddie worried as we drove down the innerstate.

"If Sarah still had the necklace when she went into the home then her estate agent should have record of who it was sold to," Fabian reminded. (He always was too confident in the system.)

"But what if Sarah lost it or sold it before?" I fretted. "I mean there have to be hundreds of moon necklaces in the world. How are we supposed to find this specific one?"

"We can't," Eddie answered calmly. "If we can't find the necklace it's over and we die." Wow. Something must be in the water because both Eddie and I were really embracing our death sides today.

"You teens today," the cab driver laughed. "You all make such a big deal out of everything. In my day you'd never say not finding a necklace would kill you!"

Eddie just shook his head, but we didn't speak anymore. Who knew what the eavesdropping taxi driver might actually understand.

"Hi is Mrs. Dough in today?" Fabian questioned of the law firm's secretary who, luckily, nodded.

"Yes. She's in a meeting at the moment but should be out soon. If you want to give me a name and wait I'll call you when she's ready," the women replied boredly. Doing as she requested we took a seat and within 15 minutes there was a middle aged lawyer standing in front of us with a hand extended.

"Nina Martin?" I nodded to confirm my identity. "Nice to meet you. Why don't you three kids come into my office." I went to follow her, but Eddie grabbed my harm in hesitation.

"I've got a bad feeling about this girl," he whispered and I knew exactly what he meant. Mrs. Dough was trouble, but she was trouble with info on the ankh and that made her worth it.

"It will be fine," I told my Osirian with a smile hoping that I would be right.

"Normally I don't take people without an appointment," she explained as we sat down and he riffled through a file cabinet. "But I recognized the name." With a charming movement she popped the file from its place and opened it on to the desk. "Nina Martin."

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you know my name?"

Mrs. Dough laughed, "Come on, you're the Chosen One and Mr. Miller here is your Osirian. Everybody knows about you!" What the heck? "Don't give me those blank looks, surely you've seen … oh, you haven't have you?" By this point the women was in an uproar. "You've never met a goddess before? Really? Well, now you have. I'm Hanet, minor goddess of Egypt and servant of Osiris and Anubis, but then again aren't we all."

"I'm sorry," Eddie gaped, "But did you just say you're a goddess?"

"Hanet," Fabian informed us. "She was a protector of souls as they crossed from this world to the next."

"Now I like you," the goddess told my boyfriend running a finger across his hand. "Not many know who I am. Which is a shame really considering that the whole reaper story is based off of me." Ah. So not only were we meeting a goddess we were meeting a goddess who felt unappreciated. Great. "But I don't matter, which yes you don't often hear from a goddess. You two are trying to assemble the ankh of Osiris, right? You must be suicidal, but whatever. You came here looking for a certain necklace of your predecessor which you were told I sold."

"Did you?" I asked hopefully. "Because we really need it."

"I can tell that," Hanet was still laughing, but now it was something darker. Maybe, as a reaper goddess, she could tell that I was dying and taking Eddie with me. "And yes, I do know where the necklace is. I sold it to a museum to pay for Sarah's end-of-life care and her fake documents. Normally I don't get that involved, but she did me a favor back in her 20's and I owed her. Ain't a god on this planet who didn't owe a Chosen One at some point in time don't you forget it. Anyways, the necklace is in the Tutankhamen exhibit in Dorchester."

Oh. So now I had to break into another museum to save Eddie's life and I didn't even have Kat's help this time.

"No one expected Fish to make her 3 million dollar bail, but at noon today she was released until her trial next week…" the news broadcaster informed us as we left the goddess's presence in despair. How was I supposed to get the necklace? I don't actually know how to do the breaking in, that was Kat's job. If only it was a Cleveland and not a Fish who'd just made bail.

Or maybe it was Cleveland after all, I realized when I hopped into a taxi and saw the unmistakable face in the mirror.

"Miss me?" Just when I needed her Kat was back.

* * *

I was really glad you all liked her before, because she's actually a REALLY important character when I finally get to the end of this yeah, Kat;s back. I hope you liked it don't forget to review with thoughts or theories!


	37. Chapter 37 House of Preperations

Sorry for all the sporadic updates. Play auditions are coming up so my life has been hectic. Also, I know this chapter will be poorly edited. i'm exhausted and can't see. If something makes no sense review or message me so i can try to explain/ edit it.

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Chapter 37

House of Preparations

"K… Kat?" I stammered surprised. If I hadn't expected to see her the other day, I certainly didn't expect to see Kat now. Sure, I knew she was good, but not even my housemates knew where we were. How on earth did Kat find me?

"Nina," the con told me with a smile and nod, "Fabian, Osirian."

"Name's Eddie, not Osirian," he growled clearly annoyed by only being identified by the spirit within him. (Though by his protective stance that spirit was rearing its head right about now.) "What are you even doing here, Kat? Last time we met you broke Nina's ribs!"

"Please," the girl told us with the flip of her hair. "I knew you could heal her or I wouldn't have kicked that hard."

"How did you know Eddie could heal?" Fabian replied confused. "Eddie didn't know he could heal."

"Like I told Nina, after we met I realized that not everything was what it seemed. I did some research and eventually met Thoth, who told me all about you."

"You met a sloth?" Eddie repeated having misheard the girl. "How did a sloth talk to you?"

"I think she meant Thoth," Fabian corrected. "As in the god of knowledge. But how did you know to find us here when you just got out on bail?"

"Like I said, I'm friends with Thoth, he's a messenger god and sent me a tip as soon as he heard from Hanet. Apparently gods are required to report to either Anubis or Osiris when they reveal themselves to you; don't ask me why. I just got the message of where you were and what you needed to do. I think I might be of assistance."

"You're right," I told her with a nod. "We need to break into the Tutankhamen Exhibit in Dorchester. Everything is a replica there so it shouldn't have that much security, but we could use some help."

"That place," Kat scoffed at the thought. "Easy as pie. Only problem is that I need to keep my nose above the water. Curators probably have taught all their guards my face by now just in case. I can walk you guys through it though."

"Absolutely not!" A furious Fabian yelled passing back and forth across my room after Kat dropped us back at school. "We can't go and rob an exhibit!"

"We don't really have a choice," Patricia reminded him looking over at her dying boyfriend. "We need the ankh piece and if the necklace is there…"

"Not that I'm trying to be a kill joy…" Amber added, "But what do we know about robbing a museum?"

"Nothing," I told her frankly," But that hasn't stopped us before. Kat has com units we can use so she can tell as exactly what to do. Attach a few cameras on to ourselves and we can go right in. Between some long overdue good luck and Kat's help we probably can get the necklace without being arrested."

"I still think it's a horrible idea," Fabian reminded before giving me an exhausted look. "But it does seem like our only option."

"Why don't we take a vote?" Eddie suggested. "Alfie and KT are downstairs keeping Victor happy of our disbandment, but tomorrow we can all meet at the clearing and vote on whether or not we should get together a team and do the job."

No one had any logical objections to that so we went our separate ways for the night. Victor breathing down our necks and looking for Sibuna meetings had certainly got old very, very, quickly. I missed the days when we worried about getting yelled at and not getting arrested. Back then Victor wasn't going to expel my friends for talking to me. Now that very much seemed to be the case.

"All in favor of us getting together a team," I asked the next afternoon around our sacred Sibuna fire. Alfie, Eddie, Patricia, and Ambers hands went up while Fabian, KT and I voted against it. I liked Kat, but she had some sort of long-game in her head that I hated to be a pawn of. Still, we'd lost and I wasn't going to back out of our democratic decision.

"Okay then," Eddie said with a nod.

"I want to help you guys," KT added looking guilty, "But there is a big difference between risking expulsion and risking jail. I'm not going to be a part of the team that goes in."

"Amber shouldn't be either," Alfie pointed out causing the girl to scowl. (She still wasn't over the whole Walfie thing.) "I'm sorry, but you're a cluts and will probably get us all caught. I'm not going either for the same reasons."

"So once again it's up to you four," Amber told us her normal jealousy of exclusion gone with our high-level mission. We'd done many dangerous things in our days, but this was real world and just felt like so much more.

"The first step is simple," Kat told us later that day when we met in the local park. "This Saturday you will go to the museum as tourists and scout out the place. Now from its schematics I've come up with a plan, but if you get there and see it's not going to work we need to call it off ASAP." I understood what Kat meant. If anything looked like it could go wrong and we didn't prepare for it then it would go wrong. "Now there is enough death energy around the tomb itself for you to do the hand through stone thing, but be careful because it won't last as long as it would with a real tomb. As for getting into the museum itself I'll disable the alarm system and give you the guard patterns. I have friend who can get that for me by the weekend."

"So basically all we need to do Saturday is show up?" Patricia asked suspiciously. I hoped that the girl's aversion to the con was because Patricia hated all strangers, but I worried that there was something deeper there that I was missing. Kat acted helpful and innocent, but she had incredible skills. She was the world's best con artist and I could only hope we wouldn't be lured into her largest game yet.


	38. Chapter 38 House of Theft

Chapter 38

House of Theft

"You okay?" Eddie asked after an hour of my non-stop coughing.

"Just a cold," I told him trying not to shiver and show just how freezing I was. I liked to think that my lack of sleep was just weakening my immune system, but it seemed much more likely that my insatiable cough was just the first sign of my dying state. There was much more to come.

Eddie didn't respond, but when I began hacking again Fabian's rare temper flared. "Can't you help her?" he bit at Eddie.

"No," Kat told us speaking up for the first time since our trip began. "Healing takes energy and energy comes from Nina. Him stopping the cough will only bring on worse things faster."

"How come Thoth told all of this to you and not us?" Patricia wondered. "I mean we're the ones who could really use this info."

"Knowledge comes to those who seek it," Kat reminded us before not uttering a single word for the rest of the four-hour drive. She's not exactly a man of many words.

The museum would be amazing for most people, but for someone who had seen the real thing just a week ago the replica just didn't cut it. The real relics practically radiated history, but these just looked the part.

The necklace was exactly where Kat had said it would be and I felt ready to scream. Here I was standing, dying, and what I needed to save me was just sitting behind some glass.

**Moon necklace from the time period of King Tut** the label read. How ironic that they didn't even realize just how special the necklace was with a piece of Osiris's ankh attached to it.

"Maybe we should just take it now and run. It's not like anyone is around to notice," Eddie pointed out. He was right, we might not be seen, but I didn't want to take the chance. I trusted Kat to get us through this and we would follow her plan. "Just a thought," Eddie muttered under our annoyed looks.

"Everything looks good to go," I told Kat through the coms while we waited nearby for closing time to come around. "The case doesn't seem to be alarmed and all we have to do is not be seen."

"Good," I heard Kat say in my ear. "Now we just have to wait."

One of the first things Kat ever told me was that heists are a game and that the game is waiting. She'd done the Met job so quickly I didn't believe her then, but we'd waited all week and now we were waiting more. Finally the museum closed, the cleaning staff left, and all that was left over was the sole night guard.

"The alarm system is down and you're good to go," Kat finally told us. "You have about a half hour before anyone notices the cameras are on a loop."

Without the exchange of a single word, me and my friends picked the lock of the museum and headed in. "I feel like there should be some dramatic music and laser grids," Eddie whispered as we walked straight into the door and towards the 'tomb'.

"They figure everything inside the tomb is safe because you can't pick that kind of lock," I responded pointing to the electronic panel that slid the door open and shut. "Most people can't do this."

It was harder than ever before (maybe there was less 'death energy' as Kat called it or maybe I was just weaker), but eventually we slid our hands and bodies into the dark tomb. With the click of a flashlight the recreated tomb lit up and I decided it looked more like the real thing without tons of people around. "Gloves," I told Patricia who handed me a pair of latex gloves. Gently I raised the glass case on the necklace and pulled the ankh piece from its home."

"Let's get out of here," Fabian told me casting a nervous look over his shoulder. Nodding in agreement we stepped from the replica tomb and suddenly heard Kat yelling in our ears.

"Can you here me? The guard left the office and is roaming stay inside the tomb!"

Too late, I realized when a flashlight shone in my eyes. "Hands where I can see them," a gruff voice called.

"We're unarmed," Patricia yelled, but did the same as I and placed her hands in the air.

The guard approached us an I instantly felt bad. He couldn't be older than 25 and would have gotten fired for losing something on the job. Now he'd probably get a promotion.

_And we'd go to jail. _

"Have you been caught?" Kat asked exasperation thick in your voice. "Cough if you've been caught."

I coughed.

"Damn it kid," Kat muttered. "I don't know what to tell you 'cause I've never gotten caught. Try to talk yourself out of it I guess."

"Here," I told the guard revealing the necklace. "This is all we took."

The guard quickly snatched the necklace before giving me a confused look. "You come all this way just to steal some necklace? Why?"

"It was my great-grandmothers," I told him truthfully. "Her estate agent sold it when it was supposed to go to me. I just wanted it back, my last piece of her."

"You steal that jewelry too?" the guard asked pointing to my locket, Eddie's ring, Fabian's knot of Isis ring, and Patricia's knot of Isis necklace.

"No," Patricia told him before pointing at me. "Her great, great grandfather Robert Frobisher-Smyth stole them and that necklace from the real tomb back in the 20's."

"You know I can tell when someone is lying," the guard told us a confused look in his eyes. "And every word you've said is true. Tell me more."

Um… okay. "My name is Eddie," my Osirian began giving it all he could. "This is my fiancé Patricia, she's the annoying one, this is my best friend Nina, and her boyfriend Fabian. You want the truth and I'll tell you. I need that necklace or both Nina and I will die of an ancient Egyptian curse. Now I was born to protect Nina," the guard took a step back in fear of the hard tone of the Osirian spirit within Eddie. "And I won't let her die because she's trying to and save me. Now I'm leaving with that necklace and saving Nina one way or another so eithr you give it to me or I take it."

This man must really have been able to detect lies because he looked absolutely terrified as he detected the truth in Eddie's words and handed over the necklace.

We walked from the museum without incident leaving the awestruck man to process the truth he just heard, but could never believe.


	39. Chapter 39 House of Stuck

Hi guys! I'm back! I'd like to thank you all for your patience (even you guest ;) ) I got the flu and well… even now my head hurts as I write… But I'm glad you like it enough to be inpatient. (Though most authors do only update once a week and that's all it's been…) Unfortunately, my updates will probably continue to be sporadic as I have auditions for the play this week.

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Chapter 39

House of Stuck

"So one more piece to go and all is great," Alfie began the next morning. Clearly he'd been thinking about what he'd say since last night when we returned back to the house to a suspicious Victor. "But where's the clue."

Panic flared within me as I realized what he meant. All the other artifacts had been hidden, but this necklace… Sarah probably received some sort of clue with it, but now that clue was long gone.

"Don't worry," Fabian told me rubbing his smooth hand up and down my goose bump-covered arm. "We'll figure something out. We always do."

"But usually we have some sort of clue!" A frustrated Eddie growled back.

"Maybe there is something in the house," Amber suggested. "We never would have figured out the tunnel traps without Sarah's dollhouse. Maybe she left something else here that can help."

I shook my head, "Trudy threw everything out when she cleared the attic. We're stuck."

"Hey, they're talking about Kat on the news," KT called from downstairs interrupting our glum meeting. Rushing down the staircase to see what had her in such a bunch I saw pictures of Kat in handcuffs with the date stamp of only an hour ago.

"Katarina Fish, who is commonly referred to as Kat the Con, is back in custody not only a week after her bail was made," the brunette news reporter informed us from outside the penitentiary. "Her trial, which wasn't set to begin until the summer, has now been moved up to next week and Fish is to remain in detention until then. Fish, who is only eighteen, is already being charged with thefts from seventeen different museums and today, when she broke in to the Dorchester Tutankhamen Exhibit, that number became eighteen."

"She broke in?" Amber interrupted but I silence her quickly pointing to the non-Sibuna members of our house.

"It wasn't her," the voice of the guard from the museum through the TV. "I'd testify myself and plan on it too. Four teenagers- two male two female stole the necklace. I saw them a little before I was knocked out and Katarina Fish is innocent."

"So how did Katarina Fish's signature hacking end up in your alarm system?" the reporter countered of the perspiring guard, "And why did Fish confess to this robbery along with three others, but not the other sixteen?"

"I don't know who she's covering for," the guard lied easily. "But I know she didn't do this one so maybe she didn't do the others."

Just as I clicked the channel off all color drained from my face, I heard a hard rasp on the door. I stood up to get up, but I instantly got dizzy and Eddie had to help me even sit back down on the couch.

"Are you okay, Nina?" Jerome inquired seeing my struggle. Letting out a soft chuckle and smile I nodded.

"You know how it is. Just tired."

"Sure, she's in here," I heard Fabian, who'd gone to answer the door, say. Quickly my boyfriend appeared in the living room doorway a lean and scruffy suited man behind him.

"I'm Grayson Denmark," he told us formally. "Which of you is Nina Martin?"

Eyes flashed in my direction as I sat up on the couch and spoke in reply, "That's me. What can I do for you Mr. Denmark?" Even though he'd said less than ten words since arriving, I was weary of Grayson Denmark. Lately it had seen that whenever someone said they needed me who they really needed was the Chosen One.

Though as soon as he spoke I knew Mr. Denmark was the exception. "Feel free to call me Grayson. I'm the lawyer working against Katarina Fish, you know her as Kat Cleveland I believe."

"Yeah, I knew Kat. I just saw she got arrested again. What can I do for you?"

"I understand that it must be hard for you to talk about," the lawyer told me sitting down in the chair diagonal from mine. "But I was hoping you'd be able to come into court next Friday and share your story. If the jury can see the similarities in the cases she confessed to and those she didn't we're much more likely to get a conviction."

"I don't mean to be rude or anything," Eddie interjected with his rude voice. "It's up to Nina whether or not she testifies. I'm just curious as to why you'd lie about why you want her to testify."

"I'm not…"

"Is it because you can't say that you want to sway the jury by proving Kat is a danger," Eddie continued as if Mr. Denmark hadn't said a word. "Or is there some other motive you won't speak of?"

"Eddie," Patricia warned clearly unnerved by her fiancee's out of character behavior. I too was concerned, but something told me that until I was no longer dying Eddie would increasingly become more and more Osirian and less and less Eddie.

Grayson, however, just laughed. "You're right Mr…"

"Miller."

"I can't officially say what I'm doing, but yes, I'd cheat the system if it meant Miss Fish behind bars and safely away. I really don't like people like her. Those who think they can take anything from anyone with no consequences are the reason I went into law."

"Of course I'll come and testify," I finally decided even though I'm not sure why I'd try to help put someone who helped me behind bars. Maybe I've just gone a bit mad like Eddie.

Grayson smiled, relieved, "Good. Be there at 9 AM sharp. If your friends can skip classes they're welcome to come to. For moral support." With his final words said Grayson Denmark walked from the house leaving me alone with some very confused friends.

"What was up with that?" Patricia accused. "I thought you liked Kat? She did just help us and confess to a robbery we did."

"Exactly," I told her slumping back on the couch exhausted. "I would like to know what she's up to and the only way to do that is by asking her." Looking around at the disheartened members of Sibuna I lied again. "And I have a feeling we'll find a clue to our next piece there. Call it a Chosen One thing."

"Why did you lie to them? About having a feeling about it? I know you don't, because I don't," Eddie whispered after the others moved into the kitchen clearly aware of the fact I was sleeping on the couch unable to make it to my room.

"It's better if they don't know the truth," I confessed. "I'm scared Eddie. I'm not even sure I'll live to see the trial. I feel so weak."

"Shhh," my Osirian told me gently. "You'll be fine. Fabian is right. We'll find the clue, we'll find the ankh, and we'll live through this. Someday you'll tell Fabian and your kids about how you were stupid enough to testify against a friend."

I smiled thinking of Fabian and my eventual kids. I'd always wanted a girl to name Sarah. "She did break our ribs," I reminded Eddie. "Maybe I'm annoyed about that and holding a grudge."

Placing a platonic kiss on a feverish girl's head Eddie reminded me of the truth. "You're Nina Martin. You don't hold grudges."


	40. Chapter 40 House of Cupid

It's weird because I feel like this should be ending (last piece and all) but there is still so much more for me to write… good for you I guess.

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Chapter 40

House of Cupid

I basically slept all day Monday (Eddie was 'sick' too and stayed with me) so I felt better come Tuesday when Amber walked into our room and started rifling through my clothes in our closet. "You need some normal back in your life," she told me throwing rejected dresses on the floor. "And my social life died to this 'Walfie' so I've decided tonight is date night. It is Valentine's Day Friday and since you'll be busy in court it's time to do this now. Joy and Jerome, Eddie and Patricia, you and Fabian- I've got to dedicate my energy to something. Alfie is out with Willow having some movie date so KT and I decided to play cupid tonight." Suddenly, Ambers face grew concerned, "If the Egyptian gods are real are the Greek too? Because I don't think Cupid would like me pretending to be him if he's a god."

"Technically Cupid is Roman," Fabian informed us from the doorway where he stood in a nice sweater and a newly shaven face. "Eros is his Greek form."

"You know I've wondered the same thing," I noted going back to Amber's comment on the other gods. If Hanet, Anubis, and Osiris all exist (and meddle with my life) then what is to say Greek gods or Norse gods or even Aztec gods don't exist too?

"In all actuality I wouldn't be surprised if they did exist," Fabian told me with a sweet kiss on the forehead, "But hopefully they know getting involved with us will only lead to trouble." Turning at a smiling Amber Fabian nodded, "Definitely the red one."

"I haven't felt this beautiful since the masquerade ball- on one of the many nights I almost died," I confessed looking in the mirror at my gentle curls that hurt enough as Amber made them that Eddie thought I was being tortured. (No joke. He came running up here thinking I was dying or something. Needless to say, he was surprised just to see a curling wand in Amber's hand.)

"Well hopefully nothing will go wrong this time because Joy can't steal your mask and get Fabian to kiss her." Oh. I'd forgotten that Amber got more frustrated over bad Fabina moments than I did. (Sometimes it seemed like this was her relationship. )

"Well now Joy has Jerome," I told her with a nod. "I never would have called it, but they do seem to be good for each other."

"It is typical Jerome though isn't it?" Amber mused. "Not many guys start going out with a girl after breaking the girl's best friend's heart by cheating on her with Willow. I mean what does everyone see in Willow?"

And now we were back on Alfie.

"You were gone, Ams," I reminded my friend gently. "He had to move on."

"But Fabian never moved on!" Amber complained finally letting on the hurt that had been bubbling beneath the surface for a long while. "Sure he sort of got together with Mara, but… First Willow moves into my bed before it's cold and then my boyfriend? It's not fair!"

I wanted to point out that it wasn't fair for Amber to expect loyalty from Alfie when she left him to go to fashion school in America. Still, we were talking about Amber; she's never logical when it comes to Alfie. Something about that boy got under her skin and now the virus had moved on, but Amber was still infected.

Why did relationships have to be so darn complicated?

"You look…" Fabian stuttered as I made my way downstairs. " Now I feel really underdressed but since we're not even going out…"

"No, I'm overdressed," I told him with a bright smile. Sure, my flaming red dress was overkill, but I felt hot. With everything falling apart I needed the confidence I got from that virile look in Fabian's eye as he studied me. I definitely looked hot.

Patricia didn't need to down formal attire to get her boyfriend's eye. Even in her ratty jeans and a tee shirt the glint in Eddie's eyes screamed that the school needed to rethink their co-ed dorms. "Careful tiger," I told my Osirian and friend with a giggle, "Patricia needs something to look forward to this summer when you tie the knot."

I'd never seen such a red face as the one those words caused Eddie to down. As he guiltily turned away, I giggled. Patricia deserved to be looked at like that. She puts up with a lot of craziness that comes with dating the Osirian and rooming with the Chosen One; no one deserved love more than her.

"Now tonight isn't your normal date night," Amber told the assembled couples pacing back and forth like a drill sergeant. "It's an Amber date night. Therefore I want each of you to write on this piece of paper the one thing your partner has always wanted to do on a date, but never dared and we'll do it."

Joy seemed to think Jerome has a romantic side and because of her we all ended up reading sappy monologues from tragedies. Jerome thought Joy liked Pictionary (that ended well). Eddie wrote Patricia always wanted to dance under the stars (he was right on that one.) Patricia swore Eddie's life-long dream was a snowball fight. I thought Fabian loved hide love notes around the house and make me find them, but it was what Fabian thought I wanted that made the night so perfect.

"And Nina wants to…" Amber cut out as she read Fabian's request. Fear rose within me as I wondered what horrible idea my boyfriend had come up with that sparked such a sad and longing smile on Amber's face. "Nina wants to climb on the roof with her boyfriend."

"Are you sure that's safe," Eddie asked quickly slipping into his natural protective Osirian state.

"I'll be fine," I vowed high on love. "Fabian will help me. Besides what's the point in being alive if I can't live a little?"

With Victor off being malicious in town we were unseen as a foolish couple found a ladder and climbed on the roof. Wrapping his legs around one of the pillars at the top Fabian placed me on his lap as we stared into the waning moon. "This was a really stupid idea," Fabian confessed as I leaned back against his chest. "I'm not normally one to do something this reckless."

"I'm glad you did," I told his with a kiss. "It's beautiful up here."

"It is good to get away," Fabian admitted. "I feel so pressured around Eddie. He's already one-uped me as a boyfriend by proposing."

What? "You don't honestly think I want you to propose, right? I love you Fabian, don't get me wrong, and I want to spend forever with you, but I don't think now is the time to let the world that. We're going to Uni together anyways after another four years you'll either be sick of me or ready to marry me."

"Let's not talk about that now," Fabian decided at a minute. "Let's just enjoy the night."

So, we shut up and sat basking in the moonlight safe on the roof in one another's arms.


	41. Chapter 41 House of Fish

I've mentioned this to a few people over PM, but I hope you liked the last chapter because that's the last happiness you're getting until the epilogue…

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Chapter 41

House of Fish

"Why did I ever agree to do this in the first place?" I wondered as I pulled from my bed after the nap Eddie forced me into (I hadn't objected much. All I really felt like doing at the moment was sleeping.) If we didn't get the next piece soon I was going to die; no doubt about it. Yet, as I got weaker, Eddie's determination grew stronger. Technically, since we're connected he should have been feeling the sickness too, so, for him not to be feeling sick, he must have been fighting harder as each day went by.

And if Eddie could fight harder and push through then so could I.

"I don't know," Eddie noted giving me a worried look. "But maybe you're right and something will happen." Though I'd been lying when I first suggested it, I now did have a feeling like something important would be going down at this trial. But, maybe I'd just been trying so hard to convince the others that I'd convinced myself in the meantime. "Come on, my dad just texted me that he was outside with the car."

Since it didn't technically have anything to do with Sibuna, and therefore Victor couldn't do any expelling, all of my friends had decided to join me on my journey to the deepest parts of the British Legal system. It felt weird testifying in a country I'm not even a citizen of, but I would tell the story as it happened… or as Kat told me I was to pretend it happened.

When I arrived at the court house, I realized my mistake. I was going to swear an oath of truth in front of hundreds and then break it. Egyptian not-so-mythology is just against lying as every other faith. Lying under oath would make my heart heavier than it already was. If all of this was real then I'd be facing the Egyptian Afterlife when I died. And, since we had no idea where the last ankh piece was I'd probably be facing the scales of TRUTH sooner rather than later. What was I supposed to do? I can't lie because then I'll be eaten by Ammut when I die, but I can't tell the truth because then 'll go to jail and be separated from Eddie causing him to die!

"Don't worry," Eddie assured me having felt the raging emotions within me. "It will all be okay." I wanted to believe him, I really did, but it was just getting to hard.

Apparently no one had told Kat I was coming, because she looked shocked and grabbed her coat pocket when I entered the room and flashed her an apologetic look. I desperately wished we could get a moment and talk, but with all the eyes it would look odd for Kat's victim to be buddy-buddy with her. My eyes scanned the crowd as I watched the face of each person I'd lie to at Kat's command. (She had after all made me promise to do whatever I could to stay free). Suddenly my eyes fell on a face.

"What's Doctor Blue doing here?" I mumbled to Fabian as we took our place in the pews and listened to Alfie giggling at the fact that, apparently, judges sometimes still do wear their traditional wig and cloak (and yes, by that I mean dress).

"Well, Kat did steal from him. Maybe he just wants to see justice served." Maybe… but Dr. Blue basically said he only bought the ring so the Chosen One (me) would come and get it for her Osirian (Eddie) . He just wanted to find us and use us to find Senkarah's tomb. And he had, so why did the man show up now?

But I didn't voice my worries to Fabian. There was a time when I told him everything and, though our love had grown, that had practically disappeared. Now it seemed to be Eddie who I went with to my worries. It's not that I love Eddie or something; it's just that he literally knows how I feel. I can tell him something completely trivial, something that most people would think I was overreacting about, and Eddie would understand that I really did feel strongly about it. When I felt some strong emotion- love, hate, fear, anger, sadness, joy- Eddie felt in no matter what, but when I felt a lesser emotions-distaste, distrust, gloom, happiness- all it took was a supportive touch for Eddie to know exactly what emotions raged inside me. That kind of bond had quickly given Eddie and me a new dynamic that was only catalyzed by my impending death.

So, no, I didn't tell Fabian that I thought it was suspicious. Instead, I nodded and smiled, "You're right. That's probably it."

As my boyfriend looked away, content, my eyes followed Dr. Blue as he confidentially strolled across the large court house and sat down next to another familiar face.

"Okay, Dr. Blue showing up was odd, but what on the face of the earth is Miss Blufish doing here?" Eddie muttered sliding closer to me.

"And how is it that they know each other?" Patricia asked pointing to the supportive arm Dr. Blue just wrapped around Miss Blufish.

"No…" Fabian muttered putting two and two together. "That can't possibly be the case? What are the chances of it happening?

"The chances of what happening?" Amber questioned from behind. "Fabian, what is going on?"

I too was at a loss for answers, but everything clicked when Kat walked in and Miss Blufish gave her a protective and supportive hug.

"Her name…" I stuttered. "How is it that this happened?"

"How did what happen?" Eddie, who still hadn't caught on questioned. "Nina, Fabian, what do you mean?"

"Katerina Fish is Kat's real name, right?" Fabian began

"And Dr. Blue's last name is Blue."

As the dominoes fell in Eddie's mind he spoke aloud the words I couldn't muster because the chances of it being a coincidence were next to none. No, this was all planned.  
"Miss Blufish's name isn't Blufish… it's Blue-Fish. She's both Dr. Blue and Kat's half sister."


	42. Chapter 42 House of Life

Disclaimer: Don't drink silver kids. Just don't. You will die!

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Chapter 42

House of Life

"You need to get out of here," Eddie decided immediately after I spoke the life changing words. "There is something very sketchy going on here and I don't want any of you involved in it. Call my dad, have him turn around. Fabian go wait with Patricia and Nina outside- they're the only one Dr. Blue really knows."

"But Miss Blufish sees us all everyday in class!" Amber reminded him. "She'll think it suspicious that they left and we didn't."

"They're right," Fabian told Eddie kicking into my beloved hero mode. (Fabian was my protector long before Eddie and his Osirian bond came around.) "Eddie you go and get everyone out of here. I'll stay and say Nina got sick so you left. Maybe I can weasel some information out of somebody."

"Fabian, no!" I told him in a hushed frenzy. "Something is very, very wrong here and you could get hurt."

"Nothing is going to happen in a filled courthouse," Fabian assured me gently. "And Eddie and you can't be separated, remember. He'll keep you safe and I'll find out what's going on. I'll be fine."

I didn't want to leave Fabian alone, but someone did need to cover for me and get answers. Every bone in my Chosen One body screamed that there was danger in this place for Eddie and me, but that everyone else would be safe.

"Everyone else needs to stay; I'm sure you'll be fine." I assured my friends. We couldn't all leave without causing a scene and, with a clueless Joy and Jerome around, there was safety in numbers. "It's probably best if just Patricia, Eddie, and I sneak out."

No one liked the unknown situation, but they trusted my instincts to be right. I needed to leave before something horribly Egyptian went wrong, but it would look less weird if everyone else stayed. Kissing Fabian gently I snuck out of the courtroom with my two best friends at my side.

"Are you okay?" Eddie asked upon noticing my struggle to breath. When I continued to cough and didn't reply I felt his hands on me. "Nina? How long has this been going on?" He furiously interrogated when he saw the blood splatter I'd just coughed up. Still unable to conjure up a breath I flashed an 'I'm okay' smile before promptly falling to the ground unconscious.

"We should take her to the hospital," Patricia probably said. (I was still so dazed it sounded more like 'We should make her hopscotch.')

"What can they do for her?" Okay, I must have been waking up because I clearly understood Eddie's worried response. "She's dying of me and an Egyptian curse- not exactly typical hospital material. What we need to do is find the last ankh piece!"

"But how?" Patricia fretted. "I mean we have no clues and no help. It could literally be any piece of silver anywhere in the world! We're doomed."

"I can't afford to think like that," Eddie told his fiancée with a gentle kiss. "I'm going to be there come summer standing on the alter and you're going to show up Nina at your side beaming. I'm going to live to see you be my wife Patricia Williamson. I promise."

"She got off!" Alfie boomed stepping into the house. "How on earth does she get off?"

"Shhh," Eddie told them pointing to where he thought I was still sleeping. "Where's Fabian?"

"He was just behind us," KT muttered her voice cracking. "Eddie, is Nina going to be okay?"

"Of course she will!" Amber said defiantly. "There is absolutely no way Nina can't be okay!"

"We've let you keep your secrets, Joy, who'd obviously entered the house, reminded. "Because we hate Sibuna. But I need to know what's wrong with Nina- she's our friend too."

"Come upstairs," Patricia decided. "We'll explain everything."

"Eddie, you coming?" Jerome asked from farther away.

"No," my Osirian answered calmly. "I'm going to wait with Nina at least until Fabian comes in."

"Speaking of the devil," Jerome muttered as the door once again flung open and presumably, Fabian stepped inside.

Eddie must have had a worried look on his face because Fabian dashed into the living room and came to my side Eddie trailing behind him. "I'm fine," I hoarsely assured them. "Just need a bit of sleep."

"Nina. You're not fine," Eddie told me hardly. "And the sooner you accept that the better. You're not fine, but you will be. I'll find a way to make you fine."

"We all will find a way to make you fine," Fabian corrected. "All of us. Someday this will just be an odd story we'll tell our kids."

"Did you get anything from Miss Blufish?" Eddie inquired of Fabian.

He shook his head. "Nothing much. I caught her on the way out, Kat's free by the way. Apparently her and Kat share a mom and her and Dr. Blue share a dad. She was in a foul mood though so I didn't ask her anything else."

"Why would she be in a bad mood? She seemed close to Kat. Wouldn't she be happy her sister got off?"

"I was wondering the same thing. Joanna seemed off today."

"I'd say I'm surprised, Kat, but from everything I learned about you today I'm not," Fabian told my old frienemy. "Congratulations by the way."

"Thanks," Kat told him strolling over to be. "It's hard for people to believe that someone like me could have done all that. "Fabian, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"What! No! I'm not leaving Nina," Fabian quickly responded.

"I trust you," she assured my worried boyfriend. "But there are only three people on this planet who I know without a doubt aren't Anet. Obviously, I know I'm not Anet, and I know Nina and Eddie aren't either because they can't get possessed without a talisman such as the mask of Anubis. I'm pretty sure you're not Anet Fabian, but I'm not taking any chances."

"Go," Eddie ordered. "I'll make sure nothing bad happens to Nina." The furious look in Fabian's eyes assured that if it was anyone else he'd never leave me. Still, Eddie's DNA told him to protect me just as much as mine told me to help annoying Egyptian gods and ghosts.

Once Fabian was gone, I'd attempted to sit up and been forced back down by Eddie, and Kat had her dramatic pause (always the showman) Kat pulled her silver bracelet from her hand. "Here. I don't speak Egyptian all that well, but I'm pretty sure the marking say it's the heart of the ankh. This is the last piece, right?" I nodded furiously. "Then go before anyone sees, make a fire in your secret tunnels, melt the pieces and then drink them from the cup of Ankh. Then, you'll both be fine."

"Thank you," I whispered to my unlikely ally. "Thank you so much Kat. If there is anything I can do…"

"The only thing you can do is make sure you drink the entire cup so no one else can. A single drop on the lips of someone as mad as Anet and there won't be a world left for you to live in."

Nodding furiously I attempted to stand, but ended up being carried down into the tunnels by Eddie who didn't even seem to be struggling beneath my weight. He brought me into the first chamber before leaving me alone to go and get the cup and the pieces.

We did it. Somehow, someway, we got the ankh pieces and now we'd be free from this curse. I was going to live. Eddie was going to live.

We'd both pretended otherwise, but in the face of hope we realized we'd never expected to live to see this planned wedding. Now we would. Now I could be Patricia's maid of honor and, eventually, I could return the favor and Eddie, my Osirian, could walk me down the aisle and give me away to my wonderful Fabian. The love of my life.

Eddie returned quickly all the pieces sticking out oddly in the cup. "You told me the cup won't melt, right." I nodded. "Good, because I'm going to stick this whole thing in the furnace outside. It will only be a minute, okay."

If the Egyptian gods were the type of gods you prayed to and expected a response from I would have prayed that Eddie returned quickly and safely. I needed this to be over.

Soon enough it felt like he'd been out there too long and, just when I was getting up to help him, Eddie returned beaming a gold sparkling silver liquid in the cup. "Legend says you have to drink first. Once I take a sip the bond will be broken and we'll be free."

Cautiously I kissed the cup and felt the warm liquid slide down my throat. It didn't taste good, but as the ultimate medicine I slurped it down before handing the cup over to Eddie.

Shutting his eyes in anticipation, I watched as the silver cup met his cool lips and the liquefied silver worked its magic.

A pale golden string appeared between Eddie and I. As the bond broke I saw the tangible rope that had bound us and almost taken our lives. When the last of the string faded and I felt the weight of two lives lift from my chest I flung myself into a hug.

"I guess I can take this off now," Eddie told me with a smile looking at his Osirian's ring.

"Don't," I whispered. "Wait a little while longer. I just want to wake up tomorrow morning and feel 100% fine. Then I'll know it worked and you can throw the ring into the deepest pit of the ocean."

"Better not," Eddie told me sliding his hand into his jean pockets. "You never know when another evil Osirian will come along and curse future generations."

"Let's hope it doesn't happen again because we drank most of the cure. Kat said to finish it, why don't I endure the taste and you go find your wife to celebrate."

Before the cup could even touch my lips again I felt a chill down my spine.

"Don't scream, don't move, and don't drink the elixir," a familiar voice told me. Turning, I saw her, Anet, in an all-too-familiar-body.

* * *

Come on. You guys didn't actually think i'd tell you who it is in this chapter, right? Because I'm too mean for that.


	43. Chapter 43 House of Death

Chapter 43

House of Death

I couldn't move a muscle. Every part of my body was frozen as Anet swooped in and plucked the cup from my hands. "I can tell you're surprised, Paragon. Surely you didn't expect the all fearsome Anet to be possessing your 5 foot History teacher. What's her name, oh yes, Joanna Bluefish." Anet/Miss Blufish waited for a response before realizing her problem. "Oh yes, my blood spell, I told you that you couldn't talk. Well you can talk Paragon, but no screaming for help. Not that they'd hear you down here."

"How long have you been possessing her?" I spit out forcefully.

"Since you opened my tomb," Anet answered coolly. "Joanna is one of my decedents, but unlike some, the Blue family never forgot me. My mother, Senkarah, was bound in the King's tomb and I was bound to hers. It has forever been the Blue family mission to find the tomb and free me, but the location was lost to time. They needed your blood to find it which you so willingly gave." Grinning maliciously Anet held up the little vials of our blood Dr. Blue had taken and (or so I had thought) emptied in the desert. "He used most of it for the location, that's true, but all I needed for complete control over the Chosen One and her Osirian was one, little drop."

"Why are you doing this?" Eddie bellowed. "Why can't you just leave us be?"

"YOU KNOW WHY I CAN'T!" the man women screeched. "My husband loved a silly girl who was the pharaoh's personal slut! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO LOVE ME!"

"Ah, a women scorned," Eddie muttered acting braver than he had to feel. "So I understand why you want to kill us and all-bad blood, but why destroy the world?"

The grin on Anet's face as she spoke was beyond insane, "Why let it keep existing? I hear you Brits say 'keep calm and carry on' well my motto is 'keep calm and destroy anything not useful to you' this world is of no use to me, so it is to be destroyed." Anet drunk the last of the ankh-silver with a smile. "Besides. I want you two to die only when you see the world you failed. That will be my revenge."

The possessed body made little noise as it disappeared from sight. "Any luck with moving?" Eddie question obviously trying to get free himself.

I hadn't really been trying. Why did I want to get free only to watch Anet destroy everything and everyone I loved? "Nina look at me!" Eddie demanded snapping me from my self-pity. "We've been in worse situations. If we can fight the blood control and get free we can stop her. We have to at least try! Think of Fabian! Think of him unaware of what's going to happen."

"He's going to die," I said with a crack in my voice. "They're all going to die. We're going to die!"

"So what if we die!" Eddie growled. "Let's just protect those we love. We can stop Anet. Maybe she'll kill us but…"

"If they live then it's worth it." I finished. Anet would stop at nothing to see me dead, Eddie too, but she was only going to destroy the world because she could. Eddie and I wouldn't be graduating, but if we fought hard enough, Fabian and Patricia and Amber and Alfie and Joy and KT- they'd all get to live their lives.

With renewed strength I focused on the face of my beloved boyfriend and felt the slightest twitch in my toes. He'd always been there for me, and now, I could be there for him.

Falling forward as the bond broke I turned to see Eddie still struggling. "Focus on those you love, Eddie." I told him with a sad smile. "Focus on those you'll miss when we save them."

My bittersweet words helped Eddie find the strength to break the bonds and together we dashed back through the tunnels.

Anubis house looked like nothing had changed, except for one obvious thing. "Where is everyone?" Eddie muttered. "PATRICIA! FABIAN! ANYONE HERE?"

I was about to join his voice when I looked out the window and saw, to my horror, bodies everywhere. Dashing outside I saw the gentle rise and fall of breath and sighed in relief. "It's okay. They're just asleep."

"I don't see how that's okay!" Eddie reminded. "How on earth did Anet put the entire school asleep?"

"It's not… it's not the entire school." No! No! No! No! No! My dream, my horrible nightmares, they were coming true.

A red river had magically carved itself into the school grounds and, at the foot of the river, all of Sibuna stood hands and feet bound. Taking off at a run towards them Anet caught sight of us in the corner of her eye. "You couldn't just wait for your turn to die. Nevermind. You can see your friends go first!" Before anyone could even scream five bodies tumbled into the bloody river. "Stop!" Anet screamed and I felt every muscle seize once again. "You thought you'd overcome my bond? Don't be ridiculous. I let you get free. I wanted you to see your friends struggle to keep their heads above the water, or should I say blood." Anet chuckled. "I don't even know whose blood it is. The moment I drank the ankh I got the power of the gods and the river just appeared. It's quite impressive."

"We're going to stop you!" I yelled frustrated. How could this be happening?

"How are you going to stop me, when you can't even control your own bodies?" Anet asked with a malicious grin. "Osirian go inside and find two chairs. Then I want you to place one on each side of the river." Doing as she said Eddie ran inside a pained expression on his face and returned, quickly, with the exact chairs from my vision. In the corner of my eye I could see the Sibuna gang had successfully rapped their roped around a tree branch, but if my dream was going to continue coming true that branch would soon break.

"Good, now place one chair on either side of the river," Anet directed. "And then I want you each to sit in them."

Smiling maliciously Anet crossed over the river and went to where Eddie was sitting still obeying her every demand. "It's a shame I drank the ankh, isn't it?" Wait… did Anet not know? "You still being bound to Nina there are so many fun ways for me to kill you. I could tell you each to run in different directions until the distance kills you… or, from what I hear, I could just lock you in a room and wait. Nina's dying right, within the day, and you'll go with her. I could kill Nina, and you'd both die… but that's no fun, is it? You see I don't really mind you Eddie. You and Asim look nothing alike-time does that- but your Osirian spirit it is him. The personality is always the same. The way you walk, the way you talk, the way you love- it's 100% my husband. And I love my husband. It's not his fault that Amnertis came in with her sad heart and beautiful face and tricked my loving husband into being unfaithful."

"Hate to break it to you," I told her spitefully. "But it was probably the fact that you're a raging psychopath that turned him off more than the new girl."

Turning to me Anet slapped my cheek hard. Unable to move with her hand the slap hurt extra, but, from the lack of pain on Eddie's face the bond really was broken- he didn't feel my pain anymore.

"The thing is, I don't want to punish you Eddie, but Nina can't die without you going too. I think I'll make Nina watch you suffer as I pull the ring from your finger. Then, once all of her friends are dead…" Anet snapped her fingers and the branch those in the river held on to broke away "I'll let Nina beg to die and when I finally release her she can go to the afterlife a broken mess and show that little slut what it means to mess with Anet!"

"Wow," I taunted. "Are you sure you're name's Anet and not A-nut?" I wasn't sure where the courage came from, but as I watched my friends get carried down the river and Eddie sit immobile in his chair I couldn't just act terrified and let her win.

"Oh Eddie," Anet mumbled in his ear loud enough for me to hear across the river. "You should be very glad to know that this will hurt her much more than it will hurt you… still- it will hurt you very much."

Exactly as my dream predicted, Anet muttered her lines, magicked chains onto my body and pulled the ring off of Eddie's hand and he fell to the ground in agony well I cried out his name. However, what I never knew in the dream, was that the ring had no use to Eddie anymore. His life didn't depend on it. His life didn't depend on me. So long as he acted well he could escape and save the others while Anet was busy plunging a dagger into my heart.

Once Eddie's fake convulsions stopped I let out a floodgate of real tears. All my fear, all my worry, all my sadness- everything I'd held inside for months came bubbling out in a convincing show. Anet was so convinced that she didn't notice Eddie get up from the ground and dash over towards the river and my friends leaving me to face Anet alone.

"It hurts doesn't it? Losing those you love?" Anet taunted as she spun the knife in her hand. "I think it's poetic-this is the same knife I used to slit Amnertis's throat all those years ago. She didn't have a heart, but you, you do. I've seen all your love and it's disgusting! I'm going to cut out your heart and save you from all the pain that comes with love."

"You know, I feel sorry for you Anet," I told her shaking my head. "I feel honestly bad for you. When I first came to this school I was weak, helpless, an orphan entirely devoted to her grandmother. A girl who'd never been in love. But now, now I have lost so much, but gained so much more to fight for. So you can kill me. You can plunge that knife into my heart, but you're the only one who's dead. So he didn't love you; tough luck. Love can't be forced by a wedding ceremony. He should have been faithful to you, but matters of the heart matter. You can kill someone, but you can't kill love. You killed Amnertis and your love startled an ancient curse to keep her and her family safe. Amnertis loved Tut and she brought a curse down on me for him. Love is the most powerful thing in this world. So maybe you have magic, maybe you can kill me, but you can't kill my love and you will never have power without love to fight for."

Fully aware that Anet's furious face would be the last thing I saw, I closed my eyes and waited for the dagger to be plunged in my heart ending the bloodline it had began with.


	44. Chapter 44 House of the End

Chapter 44

House of the End

No pain came. Instead, I heard a scream from Anet and opened my eyes to see the dagger turned onto its yielder. Eddie had tackled the women and, in their fight, the dagger had gone right through Anet's heart. She died by her own blade.

Instantly I could move again and turned to see the river of blood gone like it never existed. Students were beginning to wake up dazed and confused, but my friends, who'd been saved by Eddie while I stalled, dashed towards me clean. It was almost like it had never happened at all.

"We did it! Eddie, Eddie we did it!" I cried overjoyed. We'd won. Somehow we'd won. Eddie won it for us. "Eddie," I muttered looking at the ground where he lay, unmoving." NO! "EDDIE! EDDIE WAKE UP!" I cried shaking him. Turning him over I saw the deep wound where Anet must have gotten him before she died. "You're going to be okay," I choked. "HELP! God somebody help!"

"Eddie!" Patricia cried falling to the ground next to her love in agony. "Eddie wake up. Don't play this game you have to wake up. We have to get married. We have to be together! God damn it Eddie get up.

Fabian leaned down to feel the boy's pulse before shaking his head. Falling into Fabian's chest I sobbed harder than ever before. No. Eddie died to save me. I was supposed to die! Anet was supposed to kill me and then Eddie was supposed to win and get married. No one needed me; they'd move on. Patricia needed Eddie. Patricia needed her only love.

Amber, through her own tears, was attempting to pull a sobbing Patricia from on top of the body. Slamming her back, hard, Patricia knelt next to him, began kissing the corpse in between muttering about how Eddie was an idiot, and needed to get up. "Patricia," Fabian told her gently. "He's gone. The knife went straight through his heart."

"There you are!" Mr. Sweet cried seeing our little group. "What's going o… Edison!" Mr. Sweet fell to his dead son's side. "No, Eddie you have to wake up. I'm so sorry I was a horrible father. You need to give me another chance."

"You can give him another chance." A chill went down my spine at the words only I could hear. I'd never hear the voice, but deep within me, I knew it never the less. "Don't speak Chosen One, it will only draw attention to you. I am Anubis-you're patron. I shouldn't reveal myself to you, but Osiris agrees with me. It was not the Osirian's time to die. This doesn't have to be his end." I opened my mouth to speak before remembering that only I could hear him, but everyone could hear me. "Look by the girl." I followed Anubis's hand and saw a golden and a silver spirit floating through the air. "The gold is the Osirian spirit, the silver Eddie's," Anubis explained. "As my Chosen One you have limited power over death. If I push from this side, and you pull from your side, then both spirits can return to their body and Eddie will be alive again."

"What do I have to do?" I whispered soft enough that only Anubis and Fabian could hear me. Fabian turned towards me worried, but I didn't have time to explain.

"Go to the spirits and cup them in your hands." I must have looked very strange, but I trusted Anubis. He was Eddie's only hope. He was my only hope. "Now pull the spirits. They will try to fight you but pull them back into Eddie's body with all the strength you can muster." Taking a deep breath I imagined the spirits as a string I had to pull. Digging my heels into the ground I ignored the countless people yelling at me to stop being crazy and explain. Though I didn't feel them, I could see Anubis's hands as they pushed the fighting spirits back towards the body. Together we made lee-way, but with each passing moment I grew weaker and the spirits hold in the afterlife grew stronger. The mounting hope had just about diminished and I was ready to give up when two more sets of hands joined in the pushing from the other side. Ancient Asim and blue Osirian pushed with Anubis until the spirits finally broke and tumbled back into Eddie. Falling backwards on top of the boy, Fabian removed me just as Eddie took a gulp of breath.

"Thank you," I whispered to the spirits. Anubis just nodded, but the other two had knowledge to share.

"I did it out of my own selfishness," Asim explained. "I need his spirit to continue to protect you in all the ways I could never protect Amnertis."

"And he is my Osirian. I chose him from all his lineage because of his true spirit. Eddie Miller is my responsibility until the moment you cease to need the protection I promised." The blue god nodded his head and went to follow the other spirits back to the afterlife. "We will meet again Chosen One, I can sense it. I can only hope the circumstances will be better when we do. Unfortunately, as the god of the dead, I don't tend to meet people at parties."

"Eddie!" Patricia blubbered. "You're alive! How are you alive?" If the boy wanted to answer, he couldn't between the girl's frantic kisses. When she finally seemed content that he was, in fact, alive and not going anywhere, Eddie answered.

"I don't know exactly what happened. One minute I was dead and my spirit was on the way to the afterlife, and the next some guy grabs me and tells me I'm still needed and have to go back."

"It was Anubis," I explained wiping away my own tears. "Him, Asim, and Osiris- they helped you come back."

"I'm assuming you helped?" Eddie concluded and I nodded.

"Thank you. Anet was going to kill me and you…"

Hugging me tightly Eddie spoke in my ear, "I did what I had to do to protect you. And not because I'm you're Osirian but because you're my friend."

"Jo!" Kat cried seeing the fallen body. I'd been so busy with Eddie being dead that I hadn't thought of the fact that Eddie had killed an innocent women to save me. "No, you were supposed to have more time!" I'd always seen Kat as so tough, but watching her hold her dead sister's hand I knew that wasn't the case.

"You can't bring them all back," Anubis told me reappearing a red spirit in his hands. "Joanna Blufish will be happy in the afterlife; I promise."

I hadn't thought about it, but from the gaping look on Eddie's face he saw the god too. Turning to the Osirian Anubis nodded, "Try to keep from dying again. Bringing you back to protect my Chosen One is a chore. As for Joanna don't feel bad. It was easy for Anet to possess her because Joanna was already dying of cancer. She had only a few days left to live. Actually," Anubis realized holding out a scroll. "This was supposed to be her last sunset."

Looking up to the sky I saw a breathtaking purple sunset lighting the sky. The day had been ruled by death and confusion, but we'd be okay. We'd live to see graduation. We'd live to see the summer. We'd live to see Patricia and Eddie get married. It would be tough for a while, especially for Kat, but in the end everything had worked out all right.

We were alive and we were together. After all this time the one think I knew was that at the end of the day that was the only thing that mattered.


	45. Epilouge House of Beginnings

Epilogue

House of Beginnings

Joy filled my heart as I opened the hotel door and saw Patricia standing inside. She looked absolutely stunning with her white gown flowing to the floor and the silver ankh necklace resting on her heart! "Nina!" my friend cried hugging me. "I'm so glad you made it."

"It's your wedding day and, technically, I'm still your maid of honor even if I've been no help at all." After everything with the ring and Anet I decided I really couldn't stay at Anubis house any longer. Amber missed fashion school so, together, we returned and begged her back a place. Currently we shared an apartment in New York City, but today we were here at Eddie's estate (who'd guess he's loaded) for the wedding. "You look gorgeous Patricia. Honestly gorgeous."

"I'm so nervous," she confessed spinning her engagement ring on her finger. "I mean after today there is no going back. We're married and all everyone has done for months is tell us we're rushing things and now that we're not going to die maybe we are rushing things and… God you don't even know about graduation do you?"

"Shh," I told her gently. "There is plenty of time to tell me things later. Now, you can't be late for your own wedding."

"Nina… there is something you need to know about Fabian," Patricia began, but the knock on her door interrupted us. I'd never met Patricia's father, but as I could see the family resemblance and was glad that he didn't try to talk her out of this. Hurried, as always, I gave a few hugs before falling into place for the procession. When we crossed the lawn I watched as Patricia's nerves fell away as she caught sight of Eddie standing on the alter in a tux. Tears of joy smudged my makeup as I beamed and thought of how all the bad in our high school careers led to this good for my two best friends.

I was so wrapped up in Patricia's love for Eddie that I didn't even notice Fabian not meeting my eyes.

"And I believe you wrote your own vows?" the pastor recalled as the ceremony drew to its close. Nodding, Patricia pulled out a sheet of paper and began speaking.

"Eddie. When we first met I thought you were arrogant, annoying, childish, rebellious, and a plain and simple pain. I never expected to like you-never mind marry you. Yet something about you just stole my heart and here we are, on an altar, getting married at 18."

"But I don't care we're 18," Patricia continued. "Because I love you and I know I will always love you. We've been through so much and I promise never to leave your side. I promise to not get jealous when girls drool over you. Though I don't promise not to flaunt our rings," the crowd gave out a chuckle. "I promise to help you through anything and to stay with you until death do us part… for real this time." Only a few of us got the joke, but everyone still saw the words as sweet.

"Um… I don't exactly know how to top that one yacker but I'll try," Eddie countered from memory. "I promise never to leave you. I promise to hold your hand each and every night when we fall asleep. I promise to support you in whatever crazy, but well-intended schemes you come up with. I promise not to be like any of our ancient friends and I promise to be the only one you ever need."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the preacher announced happily. "You may now kiss the bride." And oh did he kiss her.

As the reception began I found my way over to the happy couple and gave each of them a hug in turn. "I'm glad to see you guys happy," I told them honestly. "If anyone deserves it it's you."

"Nina, can we talk?" Eddie asked clearly nervous. Though I knew what he'd say I waited as Patricia supportivley squeezed his arm and we set off towards the edge of the pavilion. "Nina something happened at graduation…"

"I know you're not the Osirian anymore," I told him gently. Relief flooded his face when he realized I wouldn't be upset. "I got a vision when it happened of Anubis taking your golden Osirian spirit to the afterlife. He told me I had to be careful now that there was no one to protect me."

"Nina?" Eddie questioned concern hard in his voice. "How often have you been talking to Anubis?"

I shrugged. "Only that one time," I lied. In all actuality the god had been appearing to me almost nightly in my dreams and sometimes during the day if I was anywhere near a place of death. Actually, I'd found myself drawn to places of death just so I could have another conversation with the god of death. Something just kept luring me back; almost like I needed something from Anubis.

Eddie didn't believe me, even without the Osirian connection he knew me best, but unwilling to ruin his own special day he said just one other thing. "Have you talked to Fabian yet?" The pained look on Eddie's face said it all.

When I left Anubis house for the second time I told Fabian I loved him, but I needed space. I told him that we'd be going to college together come fall and we'd be able to figure us out then. I'd expected him to wait for me to be ready like he'd waited before, but from Eddie's face clearly that wasn't the case. "Mara didn't like the college thing and came back a few days after you left," Eddie explained. "She expected Fabian and her to pick up where they left off and I guess they did.

I put on a brave face and said it didn't bother me, but it was only a show. As soon as I'd lied enough to get Eddie to leave me alone I dashed away from humanity and fell to the ground in tears.

And then I wished Anet had succeeded in cutting out my heart, because she was right. The pain that comes with love is nothing next to death.


	46. THANK YOU

I literally don't know what to say.

They say a novel is 50,000 words... this is 55,578 and I wrote it in 42 days.

Before I started writing HOA fics 14 reviews was my most. My first HOA story, The Children of the Obelisk, was written in 3 days and was very, very different from this.

This story was hard to write, but what made it worthwhile was you guys. 153 reviews as I write this. To many, that's nothing, but to me, that's the world. You guys all make writing so much fun. I love talking to you, making you cry, making you laugh, making you smile. I don't have many friends in the real world, but I'd like to consider every single one of you my friends.

Thank you so much if you've stuck with me this long that you're reading this. It means so incredibly much to me. Whether you're reding it on 2/16/2014 or 2/16 3014 thank you. Thank you for caring about this show and than you for caring about me.

As I'm sure you know there is a sequel to be written. To be honest I had this all planned out and for the sequel... not so much. Still, I know it will have lots of Peddie... lots of Fabina... lots of old friends... lots of new friends... lots of gods- both good and bad and LOTS of drama. So thank you for enjoying this and I hope you'll tune in next time for some college Sibuna.

Love,

Hope Lions

PS Did I mention thank you?


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